DISCLOSURE: Please note the title of this post. CIVIL discourse. If you are so emotionally hooked that you cannot discuss candidates and policy without resorting to name calling, personal attacks and other incivility, please do not engage. I will be summarily deleting comments that I consider uncivil, regardless of who posts them, nor will I tolerate any "whataboutism," "Fake News," or other logical fallacies. You don't have to keep it clean (have you met me?) but arguments must be well-thought out and defensible with facts and references from reputable sources. So if you want to engage in poo-flinging monkey fights, please redirect yourself to Reddit, that seething den of scum and villainy.
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The other day, a 45 supporter on Facebook asked a question. He said he didn't understand why anyone would vote for Vice President Biden, and he wanted to know why people would make that choice. Understandably, he wanted answers other than "He's not Trump."
I've been thinking about this question since then, because I think it's a good one. While most elections end up being a contest between a bad choice and a worse choice, I have always tried to select the candidate who most closely aligns with the ideals and ideas I find most important. But since 45 came into office, I have found that I have been less likely to try and find commonality between me and my selected candidate. This is especially true of 45, since I hold him in such contempt, but after the last four years, my antipathy has spread to the entire GOP.
Such knee-jerk reactions are part of what has made American politics so divisive, personal, and nasty. And I want to be part of the solution, not the problem.
So I want to articulate the reasons why I think Vice President Biden is a better candidate than the current resident of the White House. Buckle up - this is going to be a long one.
CAVEAT I: I am a tax and spend liberal. For those of you keeping track at home, this means that if the American people want a specific service from the government, then we must pay for it, i.e., taxes must be raised to cover the cost of the program. I'm okay with paying more taxes for more services for the general population, and yes, I also believe in a progressive tax rate. It's obscene that there are people in the United States who suffer from food insecurity and homelessness while our wealthiest citizens are rich beyond the dreams of avarice. I pay my taxes each year if not gladly, then at least with the satisfaction of knowing I'm doing my part to enhance the standard of living for everyone in my community, not just myself. YMMV.
The American healthcare system. The United States spends more on health care than any comparable country - a whopping 17% of GDP, compared to an average of 8.6% for other relatively wealthy countries. And yet, measurements of life expectancy, infant mortality, and unmanaged diabetes show the United States lagging significantly behind other relatively wealthy countries.
There are a variety of reasons for these outcomes, but it seems apparent to me the main issue is that America's political machine is far more interested in healthcare for profit than in healthcare for people, and this is not okay with me. In a country as wealthy as ours, everyone within our borders should have access to basic healthcare. No one should have to choose between getting life saving medication or feeding their kids, no one should lose their house and have to declare bankruptcy because of a catastrophic illness or injury, and no one should be left to die because they couldn't afford to seek care. We can afford this. We just choose not to.
While I personally do not think Biden's healthcare plan goes far enough, I believe it is a step in the right direction. A public option for all should be available if people need it in order to get care, and Biden's current plan is comprehensive enough to increase the number of people who will be covered. We can argue for years about the best methodology to accomplish this goal, but we can't, because I really haven't seen a comprehensive healthcare plan of any sort, good OR bad, from the current Administration. They've had four years to create one. The fact that they've done nothing regarding this critical issue (except try to repeal current protections, I mean) tells me something about their priorities, and I don't like what I see.
Foreign policy. Like it or not, the United States is a part of the global economy, and our economic health is tied directly to our trading partners. Additionally, the United States' standing as a leader of the free world is largely dependent on our relationships with like-minded countries. By acting in concert with our allies, the U.S. is capable of effecting global change for the better.
Vice President Biden is a master at establishing, maintaining, and deepening these relationships. During his tenures as a Senator and then the Vice-President, he spent many years working with the leaders of foreign governments, and has earned the respect of other wealthy (and other not so wealthy) democracies/republics by doing the necessary diplomatic work to establish his credibility.
Whether or not you agree or disagree with the current Administration's foreign policy, everyone can see that our standing on the global stage has diminished in the last four years. The free world no longer looks to the United States for leadership and consensus. They roll their eyes when our chief executive enters the room or tries to speak. Instead they look to Germany, led by Angela Merkle in Europe and New Zealand, led by Jacinda Ardern on the Pacific Rim. We have spent the last 80 years establishing ourselves as one of the last remaining superpowers, and sadly, it doesn't take long for that social capital to deteriorate. I believe Vice President Biden can repair our relationships, establish new ones, and hold global bad actors accountable when necessary.
I trust science and the scientific method. If anything has highlighted the difference between the candidates in this race, it's their vastly different attitude regarding science and scientific experts. There is consensus among credible scientists that climate change is real, that it is caused by human technology, and that there will be catastrophic results if we don't work to alleviate the effects, especially in low-lying areas. But that is not what the current administration believes, based on their withdrawal from the Paris Agreement, while climate change and environmentalism is a part of Vice President Biden's platform.
The most obvious example of declining scientific advice, of course, is the management of the COVID-19 pandemic. Our current administration has ignored advice from recognized experts in favor of magical thinking, and has shaped their policies accordingly. The administration couldn't have been in better hands during this crisis, having Dr. Anthony Fauci as their primary advisor, who has served as the Director of NIH's National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases since 1984. And yet, the current administration continues to spread falsehoods and half-truths, and enacted policy that has resulted in the U.S. having the largest COVID infection rate and death rate per capita in the world, and that includes third world countries.
Based on his published platform, I believe Vice President Biden will handle this ongoing crisis in a much more effective manner, because he doesn't think he knows more than a recognized expert whose life's work has been the research and treatment of infectious diseases, and he won't pander to those who think their high school diploma or bachelor's degree makes them a qualified epidemiologist and/or infectious disease specialist.
I believe in the rule of law, the dignity of the Oval Office, and our social norms. Vice President Biden believes in these things, too.
Character matters. While I am fully aware that the vast majority of politicians in this country equivocate or mislead the population during their tenures, the last four years have been absolutely extraordinary in this regard. Based on the number of verifiable falsehoods 45 has uttered since entering the White House, it does not appear that he can speak on ANY subject without throwing in 10 (or 20) superfluous lies. 45 is a chronic, constant liar. I'm not going to speculate on why this is the case because I really don't give a damn why he lies. The bottom line is that he can't be trusted on any subject, and I require at least a minimal level of honesty from the U.S. President.
Does Biden also periodically lie? Yes. Yes, he does. He's a politician. But his lies are periodic, and at this point in our country's political life, I think that's the best we can hope for.
I will not accept misogyny, racism, bigotry, bullying of the weak or disabled, white supremacy, sexual misconduct, or incitements to violence from a candidate hoping to occupy the highest office in the land. While I concede that Vice President Biden is not a person of unerring character, it is my opinion, based on 45's own words, that Biden is miles and miles above 45 in this regard. This may not matter to you provided he delivers on issues you think are more important, and that's your privilege. Just as it's my privilege to eliminate 45 from my consideration based on these character flaws.
Intellectual honesty, curiosity, competence, and a desire to serve. To be frank, I don't think anyone is "qualified" to be the President of the United States when they begin their first term. It's a job like no other, and the weight of responsibility has prematurely aged every president in history. But there are personality traits that can predict whether or not an individual may be a good or a poor president. In an ideal world, I want a President who is smarter than me. Better educated than me. Has intellectual curiosity about the world. Has shown sustained competence in their chosen field. And I want a President whose impetus to run is to serve the people. Not serve themselves, not seek immunity from prosecution for their misdeeds. not to engage in nepotism, not to make themselves rich by violating the emollients clause. I believe Vice President Biden wants to be President for the right reasons.
My political values are rooted in the Constitution I swore to protect and defend with my life. This means any candidate I choose to endorse must also have values rooted in our Constitution. I'm especially devoted to the 1st Amendment,
Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.
As an Atheist, my own moral code is dictated by philosophical paradigms I have personally chosen that are outside of (but not necessarily contrary to) Christian teachings. The Constitution guarantees my right to reject religion, and when politicians try to force their non-secular belief systems down my throat via executive orders and judicial appointments, I consider it a violation of the 1st Amendment.
The 4th Estate is the only commercial enterprise specifically called out anywhere in our Constitution for special consideration under the law. That's because the founders understood that the government required watching, and it required watching by institutions who could not be silenced by the very people they were holding accountable.
I believe Vice President Biden shares these values. I believe 45 does not, as characterized by his constant berating of reputable news outlets, his cries of "Fake News" and "Alternative Facts," and his absolute obsession with his own press and inability to take responsibility for anything that has occurred on his watch.
I could go on, but I won't. I think that's quite enough for one post, and to tell the truth, I'm really, really tired of politics. For good or for ill, I want this election cycle to be over.
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