Editor’s Note: We welcome personal statements of support for Democratic presidential candidates. Here, a Joe Biden supporter make his case.
By Marcus R. Motta:
Nov 4, 2020, 6:00 A.M., I wake up groggy since I was up late the previous night watching the election returns, even though it was a week night. I stayed up later and later hoping to be assured by the prognosticators on CNN, MSNBC and Fox (even though Fox is now a Trump shill) that the worst presidency of my lifetime was finally coming to an end and I could sleep soundly knowing that the nightmare would soon be over. Maybe I would wake up and find out that the whole thing was just a really bad dream and Trump had never been president at all!
I stumble down the stairs to the computer and click on POLITICO to see if there is finally a result. I see it, my heart sinks, “Trump Wins!” With the returns in incumbent President Donald Trump has 306 electoral votes to 232 for the Democrat.
I am immediately depressed and start contemplating another four years of Trump’s narcissism, corruption and general incompetence and wonder how much more damage he could do. More personal attacks on Twitter directed at patriotic Americans whom Trump doesn’t like for some juvenile reason, his Nuremberg-style rallies in Rust Belt states, his fawning over authoritarian dictators because they “are tough” and the Republicans in Congress who act like everything is normal when they know otherwise.
This scenario does not have to be true. That’s why I am backing Joe Biden for President.
First, this is not a “normal” election: we are not going against a normal Republican candidate who just has a different policy agenda than us. This candidate does not care about rules, checks and balances, or bringing the country together and leading for the benefit of all. He does not respect our American values. That is why this is the most important election in our lifetimes and we must win!
Electability is the most important factor for any of the Democrats running for the nomination. We cannot afford a passionate ideologue who cannot build a coalition of Democrats, Independents and disaffected Republicans. We need everyone this time!
Recent polls conducted in December and January show that Biden can beat Trump in Florida, Virginia, Michigan and Wisconsin. In fact he is the only Democrat who can beat Trump in Virginia according to these recent results. He is tied with Trump in Arizona putting that state in play. Biden’s ties to Pennsylvania will help wrestle that prize away from Trump.
Biden’s more moderate positions will have more appeal to independent voters, the majority of whom lean Republican who are tired of Trump.
He has strong appeal with African American voters and can draw white working class voters back into the Democratic fold, drawing away some of Trump’s support.
The most important reason for going with Joe is that Trump is afraid of him. Trump walked into impeachment because he wanted to damage Biden by generating a false narrative that Biden was being investigated for corruption by the Ukrainian government. Trump has seen the polling results also and his campaign’s more accurate internal polls must be verifying this.
Due to his age, Biden will not be a two-term president. Therefore, he must have a younger VP who is capable of taking over the job of president. Amy Klobuchar fits the bill, she is young, capable, an excellent debater and would appeal to the feminist block that was disappointed by Hillary Clinton’s loss in 2016.
Klobuchar would be in a perfect position to run for President in 2024 and make history by becoming the nation’s first female president. Her Midwestern roots would help the ticket draw Rust Belt voters away from Trump and counter the perception by some voters that East and West Coast “elites” have “rigged” the system to the detriment of heartland voters.
Joe Biden has the experience to lead the country out of the mess Trump has created. He served 36 years as a U.S. senator and was vice president for two terms. He was the chairman of the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations which gave him extensive foreign policy experience that no other candidate in the field can match. America will need that experience to rebuild frayed relations with our allies after we boot Trump out of the White House.
True, age is an issue for Joe but look at the other side of the coin. With age comes experience and wisdom. These are two things we will need to clean up the Trump mess.
Let’s get to work!
Marcus R. Motta is a retired federal law enforcement officer with 32 years of service. He is a member of the Springfield District Democratic Committee.
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