Joe Biden is the answer to a Democrat winning the presidential election, does he have a fighting chance when it comes to the voters?
The Democratic party has made it painfully clear that they want to be back in the White House come November. The one issue is that nine out of their ten candidates echo each other’s liberal progressive platforms, dedicating all of their resources and energy toward the liberal voter base. The candidates have unintentionally alienated themselves from moderate and progressive liberals who make a significant portion of the party. Recycling old tactics from 2016 that have no hope of winning the election in November is an ineffective strategy that has no chance of holding up in the long run.
Out from the crowded pool emerges Joe Biden, a candidate who is able to reach across the aisle and appeal to both young liberal voters and older moderate democrats who had turned their backs on Clinton during the 2016 election. Out of the twenty remaining candidates vying for the democratic nomination, Biden’s moderate policies and views strongly predict his chances of winning come November 2020. He has the likability factor from the generation who grew up under the Obama administration, and the history in politics to win over the older generations.
A New Hope
The pendulum is swinging and Biden is the only candidate who is able to give it that little nudge to bring it back to the Democratic party. The fact that he has decades of experience as a politician having been a senator and two term Vice President combined with his bipartisan outreach and political history experience makes him the ideal challenger to the current executive. Where he lacks the liberal or progressive mindset of his fellow candidates, Biden’s ability to cross the aisle along with his age gives him the vote among the moderate voter base.
Despite the fact that he is a relic of politics past, his experience and long history in Washington gives Biden the tools needed to fight and win against Trump when the time comes to elect our next president. The other candidates may have appealing platforms and performed better at the past debates, however none of them have the ability to woo the moderate and conservative liberal voter base. Biden may not be what we want for our next president in regards to his gender or platform, unfortunately if we want a democrat in office next January he’s the best the party has to offer.
Age is More Than Just a Number
During the election debates, Biden’s decades of experience came back to haunt him; he was challenged by his prior voting record by both the moderators and fellow candidates. Over the course of his campaign, his voting record on controversial topics such as the Hyde Amendment and bussing have given him substantial blows to his image on the national stage. Before the debates he was overconfident and under prepared, sure that his seniority over the majority of the candidates would give him an edge. However, he stumbled when fellow candidate Kamala Harris challenged his votes on the desegregation of school buses in the 1970’s, attempting to downplay the racist nature of his past policies.
Despite looking good on paper, Biden’s past may turn off young progressive voters, instead turning to candidates like Elizabeth Warren and Bernie Sanders. His age may be a contributing factor towards his sudden major decline in polling numbers after a misstep at a speaking event at Dartmouth College. After confusing New Hampshire for Vermont in a recent speech, critics have begun questioning Biden’s mental health and whether or not he may be going senile. Biden has defended his health, while also maintaining his lead despite the minor slip up. The age of any candidate is a justifiable factor to consider when choosing one’s champion to defeat Trump come November, making Biden’s recent lapse in memory troubling.
The Candidate That Can?
Biden is old let’s face it. His numerous verbal gaffes and behavior over the course of his campaign have proved that he is a product of his times, either unable or unwilling to live in the present. Despite his credentials, it’s unclear if he has the ability to stand up to Trump, or if he is simply big talk and no action. Frontrunners Elizabeth Warren, Bernie Sanders and Pete Buttigieg reflect what we want for our country, however Biden represents the demographic and ideals that win an election and are able to run a country. We need someone who is young and has the real world experience to go head to head with Trump, but unfortunately “Uncle Joe” is the best we got.
Joe Biden is not perfect, he has some skeletons in his closet and although he is not the intersectional ethnically diverse candidate we dream of, he is the best hope for our country at this moment in time. Biden may have had some bumps in the road so far, but he’s the most qualified out of the candidates who are still polling high enough to stay in the debates. Despite his age and performance at the past two debates, he is the most capable out of our other choices of turning the White House blue again and bringing back democracy.