Photo Courtesy of The New York Times
Joe Biden: A Chance For Camelot
By: Leo Ogle '23
Here we find ourselves, at home. We now constantly oscillate between bouts of anxiety and boredom. We have neglected the presidential contest for other existential worries. However, may I suggest a brief return to the heat of the race that will no doubt be an inflection point in modern American history?
A field that once comprised so many has been whittled down to a pair of political leviathans. A prize fight of the geriatric and wholly confused. These old war horses are not done yet. In the Democratic primaries, Biden showed he’s still got it.
The former Vice President demonstrated his prowess through connecting with both the establishment Democratic Party and moderate independents. Now, I will be the first to admit he is not the perfect candidate, but he is the candidate both the Democrats and the nation need.
Let us now turn to our current situation. In the early days of the crisis there seemed to be little clarity in the Trump White House. Still, months into the crisis, the Trump White House has provided very little in the way of reassurance to the American people. That is not to diminish the stimulus packages that the White House has passed; they are important.
However, it has been the president’s responsibility in times of great national fear and anxiety to ease the nerves of the nation. We have conclusively not seen this from the President. Instead of “We have nothing to fear but fear itself,” we have gotten “I'm not a doctor. But I'm, like, a person that has a good you-know-what."
It is plain to see that our businessman president was not equipped for this. Honestly, what did we expect? President Trump has never served his country before, and has very rarely shown any type of selflessness. He is irresponsible and confused in the face of a crisis in which the Office of the President must both calm the public and coordinate a concerted relief effort. This was seen when the President infamously spoke about injecting bleach into the body as a COVID-19 cure.
We have an alternative to this dysfunctional and dangerous Presidency. That alternative is Former VEEP Joe Biden. Biden is a battle tested leader. He has shown his abilities to rally the nation on countless occasions, and spent a large portion of his life working through the issues and complexities of the United States Government.
He is a Democrat of the old guard and a moderate. He embodies another era, an era of great American leaders. A Biden presidency has the once in a generation chance to unite liberals and moderate conservatives under one tent, and to bring the country together. We can go back to before everything went through the looking glass.
We stare into the unknown these days. Who do you want to lead the nation through the darkness? This November, we will face a vote between stability or insanity. What America do you want?
A Controversial Candidate
By Joe D'Agostino '20
Joe Biden is, to say the least, a very controversial presidential candidate. For those who do not know, Biden was a long time senator and then vice president to president Obama. Now, Biden is the Democratic nominee for the presidency. Many, including myself, never thought he would get there.
As I look back on the Democratic primary, I remember three distinct reasons why I was sure that Biden would not receive the nomination. The first reason stems from what Democrats often like to criticize Republicans for. Many who are not fans of the Republican party will remark that it is a party of old white men. I thought to myself “surely the democrats wouldn’t nominate someone from the patriarchy,” and yet, that is exactly what happened. While this is more of a satirical point, it does make me wonder, are white men only bad if they support the Second Amendment or seek to lower taxes?
Nevertheless, it was not the complexion of his skin or his XY chromosomes that led me to believe he was not going to receive the nomination. Rather, his unsettling past and ineloquence with public speaking. Whether it’s a sexual assault allegation or forgetting the Declaration of Independence, Joe Biden has had more than his fair share of problems in the past.
Let’s dissect these recent allegations. Although the evidence seems damming, that is not my problem with it. The left, for better or for worse, often preaches a sentiment of protecting women. However, when their poster child was hit with the same allegations that many have faced before him, it wasn’t even news. If we as a country would like to sincerely protect women, I don’t think we can start by picking and choosing who we attack for their past.
If that wasn’t enough to take Biden out of the race, I thought for sure his time at the podium would. It seems like every day I see a new clip of Biden forgetting what state he is in. These kinds of mishaps happen to all politicians, especially on the strenuous presidential campaign trail. However, the frequency of these gaffes raise reasonable questions about his overall health and fitness for office. On another note, I would be remiss if I didn’t mention that one could criticize Donald Trump for many of the same problems. However, it seems absurd to me that Democrats would nominate a candidate who has many of the same qualities that they have attacked President Trump for over the last four years.
The question now becomes--how is this at all relevant to what Leo Ogle has said. It is my contention that Joe Biden is not a good candidate for the Democratic Party. I believe he does not accurately represent their base, and could possibly alienate some party members. If Democrats really want to hold themselves and others to their ideals, it seems to me like many of them will not be voting for Joe Biden come November. This is not to say that they will vote for President Trump, but at the very least, stay home. I cannot say for sure if Joe Biden will win or not, but if he does, it will be on the backs of many Democrats who have abandoned their stated values.