It’s hard to believe that the 2020 Presidential election is only a few weeks away since it feels like the world has been gearing up for it since November 2016. At one point we had over 20 Democratic candidates running to challenge Trump’s re-election, but it eventually (and unsurprisingly) came down to Mr. Joe Biden. Though obviously the former VP is no stranger to politics, many disappointed voters are asking: how did we begin with such a diverse, strong array of possibilities for the Democratic nominee and end up with the most predictable choice? A white, old, and established politician whose biggest selling point seems to be that he’s not Donald Trump – even though from looking at his demographics, he’s arguably pretty darn close. Joe has his fair share of flaws and he’s nowhere near the perfect candidate we deserve, but we need to settle for Biden if we want any sort of change for the better in the next few years, especially on some of the most pressing issues of 2020: race relations, climate change and the COVID-19 pandemic.
On Race/Police Brutality
When the entire country (and world) erupted in protests over the murder of George Floyd and countless other cases of police brutality last June, Trump chose to ignore the protesters’ calls for police reform and instead advocated for “law-and-order”, basically giving cops the go-ahead to tear gas and use excessive force to intimidate peaceful protesters. Biden on the other hand stood in solidarity with the BLM movement and though he has not promised to defund the police like many other politicians advocate for, he does believe we need serious police/criminal justice reform.
On Climate Change
Since taking office, Trump has made it a priority to undo many policies implemented by the Obama administration, especially rules and regulations in place to protect the environment. Trump is infamous for denying the dangers of climate change, claiming that it is a “hoax invented by the Chinese” back during his first presidential campaign and pulling out of the Paris Agreement in 2017. Biden, on the other hand, developed a plan to combat climate change for his campaign platform, but many critics have claimed that it is not as aggressive as it should be. Since becoming the official Democratic nominee, Biden has adopted more progressive policies and supports parts of the progressive Green New Deal
On COVID
Remember when Trump said the virus would be gone in time for us to be in church for Easter back in April? And when he completely minimized the threat of the virus, refused to listen to science, and as a result there’s been over 7 million total COVID cases in the United States since March, AND we have to take online classes, wear masks everywhere, and stay home all the time? Yeah, me too. Joe Biden’s plan to combat the pandemic if elected includes nation-wide, accessible testing and the necessary funding for a vaccine, supplies, and healthcare facilities. He also promises economic assistance to help families and workers who have been most affected by the failing economy.
Though Biden isn’t as progressive as former candidates like Elizabeth Warren or Bernie Sanders and falls mostly on the moderate side of the political spectrum on important issues, we are a long way from where we need to be as a country and another 4 years of Trump will only do more harm than good. So, if you care about your future or any of these issues, make sure you’re registered to vote in time for the November election.
