Hello All! I am a long time reader of DailyKos, but this is my first time contributing. I like to write and there has been no shortage of material in this crazy year. I am passionate about the election and am working to get my words out there more, in hopes it may sway some voters. Speaking for myself, I am 25 years old and solidly left wing. I know that many people in my demographic were not thrilled at Biden’s nomination, but I think it is crucial to get out and vote for Joe this November. I am posting this below and I encourage you to share with anyone in your life who may be a wavering progressive. If you have any recommendations on other places I can share this, I would welcome that too:
I am a 25 year old who voted for Bernie Sanders in the primary. I did not agree with all of Sen. Sanders’ proposals, but I appreciated his willingness to speak truth to the corrupting influence of money in our political and economic systems, and the moral failings of our patchwork social safety net. I had also become disgusted with the Washington status quo in light of the Trump Administration’s rampant corruption and impunity.
We now know that the presidential election is a binary choice between Joe Biden and Donald Trump. 2020 has been the most tumultuous year of our lifetimes, and I believe we stand at a major historical inflection point, both for the US and the world. We face a major public health crisis, a severe economic recession, significant civil unrest, and a mass reckoning on racial injustice. As a citizen, I believe we all must participate in this election to assure our voices are heard at this pivotal moment. And as a former Sanders supporter, I strongly believe that all progressives must vote for Joe Biden.
Ultimately, politics is a strategic endeavor through which wide swaths of people work to find acceptable solutions for the majority. From a strict policy perspective, Biden is far preferable to Donald Trump. Consider:
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Joe Biden wants to expand on the Affordable Care Act with a public option; Donald Trump has worked to dismantle the ACA even amidst the suffering brought about by the pandemic. A public option would result in the largest expansion of health insurance in US history. While many progressives are lukewarm towards the ACA, the consequences are real for the tens of millions who would gain insurance under a public option; as well as the millions who could lose insurance if Trump is given four more years to attack the law. If you care about the American people having access to healthcare, a Joe Biden presidency is crucial in order to protect and expand this goal.
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Joe Biden believes climate change is a serious threat and has proposed a broad range of policies designed to move our economy towards a more sustainable and environmentally friendly future; Donald Trump dismisses climate change as a hoax and has rolled back environmental protections throughout his presidency. I live in Denver, where we just saw a 70 F temperature drop in 24 hours. Yesterday, there was ash falling from the sky and the mountains were invisible due to smoke; today it is snowing. The climate crisis is an existential threat that we cannot afford to ignore for four more years.
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As president, Joe Biden would generally appoint liberal supreme justices; Donald Trump would continue to appoint social conservatives and likely guarantee conservative dominance of the supreme court for a generation. To give a couple salient and recent examples, the court denied the Trump administration’s effort to end DACA, and struck down a restrictive abortion law, both by 5-4 margins. Another Trump term may guarantee a conservative majority for a generation.
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Over the last few months, we have seen unprecedented mobilization for a reckoning on racial injustice in society, and growing calls for comprehensive police reform. The Biden campaign has aligned itself with the protestors and released a detailed criminal justice platform. More skeptical readers may point to Biden’s support for the 1994 crime bill, as well as Senator Kamala Harris’ prosecutorial record, as reasons to doubt the democratic ticket’s sincerity. I agree there are fair criticisms of both of these candidates’ records, but ultimately, we cannot change the past; we can only position ourselves for the future. Those who demand a reckoning on racial justice are far likelier to find a sympathetic ear with a president who meets with protestors and affirms that “Black Lives Matter,” as opposed to one who tear gasses protestors and calls Black Lives Matter a “symbol of hate.”
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The single most pressing issue facing the nation (and the world) is COVID-19. The current administration has failed this test miserably. The president repeatedly told us the virus would “disappear like a miracle,” mused about the possibility of curing the virus with bleach and UV light, and held indoor rallies with no masks or distancing. When asked about the victims, he responded “they’re dying, it’s true, it is what it is.” Of course Joe Biden would not fix everything on day one. But, he would take the problem seriously and develop a clear plan for getting the crisis under control. Life cannot go back to normal until as defeat the virus, and on that issue alone, Biden is far superior to Trump.
Progressives may be disappointed that Biden’s policy approaches to the above issues are not the radical overhauls proposed by the Sanders wing of the party. But, the truth is that policies are rarely enacted 100% in the form that they are initially proposed. Progressives are a passionate minority, but surveys indicate that policies like the Green New Deal and Medicare for All have never had majority support. As a result, they were highly unlikely to be enacted even under a Sanders presidency. Biden has shown he will give progressives a seat at the table - see the joint Biden-Sanders task force which released broad policy goals for a Biden presidency. Under a President Biden, progressives would have a voice and an ability to influence national policy. This is not possible under four more years of Trump. It is essential for progressives to have a voice in this moment, as we experience unprecedented societal and political upheaval, and a Biden presidency is the best hope currently available.
Finally, I know many progressives personally dislike Biden. It is important to recognize that a presidential administration is about so much more than the one person at the top. The tangible effects on the country’s direction come not just from the president themself, but from the cabinet secretaries, federal court appointees, and the policy initiatives they choose to pursue. Even if you find Joe Biden personally unpalatable, it is clear that his presidency is the best chance for progressives to pursue and enact the policies they wish to see at a national level. In the wildly volatile political and cultural climate that we find ourselves in, Progressives cannot turn their backs on their best opportunity to find a voice in government.
