Experience & policies boost Joe’s chances of winning over voters
AS he accepted the Democratic nomination for this year’s election, Joe Biden was careful with his choice of words – he did not mention Donald Trump once.
In casting himself as a capable leader prepared to steer the States out of its ongoing troubles, his tone could not have differed more wildly from his rival.
His 47 years in politics had taught him a message of unity over division, choosing instead to focus on the positive things he could bring to the role of leader, rather than Trump’s deceptions.
“United, we can and will overcome this season of darkness in America,” Biden declared in accepting his party’s nomination. “Here and now, I give you my word: If you entrust me with the presidency, I will draw on the best of us, not the worst. I will be an ally of the light, not of the darkness.
“This is not a partisan moment, this must be an American moment.
This is a life-changing election that will determine America’s future for a very long time.”
Viewed as a hero to workingclass voters, Biden depicted himself as empathetic and thoughtful – someone who would be a more conventional leader.
He has been endorsed not only by America’s influential celebrity culture but by his former boss, President Barack Obama.
Whereas Biden chose to never once mention Trump’s name, after four years of silence, Obama went on the attack.
“I never expected that my successor would embrace my vision or continue my policies,” said the former president.
“I did hope, for the sake of our country, that Donald Trump might show some interest in taking the job seriously; that he might come to feel the weight of the office and discover some reverence for the democracy that had been placed in his care. “But he never did.” Unlike Trump, Biden can boast of his government experience, making him a steady, seasoned hand in a dangerous and uncertain world.
However, his critics attack his voting record in the Senate.
They point to how he backed the Iraq War, as well as endorsing mandatory minimum sentences for drug trafficking and increased funding for federal prisons – both policies which contributed to mass incarceration.
But his belief that healthcare should be “a right for all and not a privilege for the few”, 30 years’ history tackling climate change and his openness to immigration has brought him tremendous support.
As a former chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, he also speaks passionately about asserting and defending America’s role as a leader on the global stage.
Of the fight to win the White House, he said last week: “What we know about this president is if he’s given four more years, he’ll be what he’s been for the last four years: a president who takes no responsibility refuses to lead, blames others, cosies up to dictators and fans the flames of hate and division.”
But Biden has attracted his fair share of controversy and in March, Tara Reade alleged that he sexually assaulted her in 1993, when she was a staff assistant in his Senate office. Others have described him as “handsy”.
Biden has denied Reade’s allegation. He responded to others by saying: “I shake hands, I hug people, I grab men and women by the shoulders and say, ‘You can do this’.”