Biden’s Trump card: COVID can’t be spun
Death, disease and economic pain are real
I have been as puzzled and frustrated as any Democrat by Donald Trump’s Teflon qualities in the face of what seems self-evident: His presidency is a massive failure, and now a deadly one.
But that doesn’t mean he’s on a glide path to reelection. Nor does it translate into, “Woe is us! Where is Joe Biden? Why doesn’t he DO something? He needs a relaunch! Dramatic moves that make headlines! Every day!”
No. He doesn’t.
He needs to keep doing what he’s doing: raising money, releasing ads, doing TV interviews, critiquing Trump, planning for vice presidential and Cabinet picks, sharing his policy thinking, being Joe Biden.
That last may be most important of all. Democratic primary voters made clear weeks ago that they want stability, experience and familiarity. Now, immersed in a pandemic that has upended our lives, psyches, economy and stature in the world, add restoration.
And, after weeks of Trump starring in his own daily “Groundhog Day” remake, displaying his insatiable need to make everything about him, we could also use a president who doesn’t need that. Who might disappear from view for a day or two and do his job. Like Biden is doing now.
It is easy to have anxiety attacks about polling, but out of nearly four dozen national polls this year in the Real Clear Politics polling average, Biden loses to Trump in one, ties him in two and beats him in the rest. He leads in most battleground states as well.
2020 reality check
Sensing that his daily coronavirus performance art was backfiring, Trump skipped questions Friday and skipped briefings entirely over the weekend. The national media glare is a better disinfectant than sunlight when it comes to exposing the pettiness, contradictions and terrifying ignorance of America’s commander in chief.
Yes, it’s incomprehensible that Biden is ahead by only a handful of percentage points in some state and national polls, and that there is an outside chance Trump could win another term. But Biden has an ace in the hole: reality. It’s empirical. It can’t be spun.
Not for nothing is the economy considered a reliable indicator of election odds in most years. You either have a job or you don’t. You can afford your medical bills or rent or mortgage or retirement, or you can’t. You’re evicted or bankrupt, or your farm goes under, or not. You’re satisfied with the president’s leadership, or you’re not.
Reality often intrudes on politics. In recent history, as more gay people revealed who they are, more people realized they knew gay people and support for same-sex marriage grew.
Guns are another example. The past few years saw a rise in gun deaths and a series of mass shootings that gripped the nation. Nearly 4 in 10 people in a February 2019 poll said they or someone they knew had experienced gun violence. Majorities now back a range of gun restrictions that Trump and his party are blocking.
Some Americans have been hurt by Trump’s trade war with China. Millions have health insurance through the Affordable Care Act that Trump is trying to kill. Hundreds of thousands brought here illegally as children are in limbo over their immigration status, thanks to Trump. All of these people have friends, families and colleagues.
Dangerous nonsense
And now, the coronavirus chapter. Last week, the progressive firm Navigator Research found that 30% of Americans knew someone infected with the virus. How high will that number go? How many more people already know health care workers and worry about their safety? How many have unemployed friends and relatives, or have lost their own jobs? And how many will rightly blame Trump for making this crisis far worse than it had to be? For Biden, probably enough. About two-thirds in a Pew Research Center poll this month said Trump was too slow to take major steps to address the threat, and worried that states will lift restrictions too quickly. Nearly three-quarters said the worst was yet to come. And in a CBS News poll released Thursday, more than half (54%) said there had already been too many deaths to view containment as a success or that fewer than 50,000 was their benchmark. U.S. deaths crossed that line a day later.
A competent government is one you don’t necessarily notice or even appreciate. The pandemic that never gets off the ground. The election that doesn’t jeopardize your health or life. The respect for institutions that keep us safe and connected (like NATO and the post office). A president who is calm and rational in a crisis, not a social media agitator or a kibitzer floating dangerous nonsense at his own briefings.
When Biden talks of making voting safe and convenient, of relying on science and preparing for pandemics, of the institutional changes that may be possible given the inequities the coronavirus has spotlighted and the shadow it casts over young people’s futures, it is possible to imagine once again a country that follows the facts, leads the world and cares about its people. WANT TO COMMENT? Have Your Say at letters@usatoday.com, @usatodayopinion on Twitter and facebook.com/usatodayopinion. Comments are edited for length and clarity. Content submitted to USA TODAY may appear in print, digital or other forms. For letters, include name, address and phone number. Letters may be mailed to 7950 Jones Branch Drive, McLean, VA, 22108.