Joe Biden will likely be the Democratic nominee for President of the United States and one thing is for certain, he cannot win alone.
On the surface, Biden may seem like the ideal candidate for the Democratic party this upcoming November. He is a moderate that has been in American politics for over forty years, serving as a Senator from Delaware from 1973-2008 and Vice President under Barack Obama from 2009-2016. Biden has the knowledge, the passion, and most importantly, the experience to serve as the Commander-in-Chief of the United States. So why then, has Biden’s 2020 campaign been shaky at its best and a complete trainwreck at its worst?
At 77 years old, Joe Biden would be the oldest president ever elected to the highest office in the United States. His age has undoubtedly been a factor on the campaign trail. Recently, Biden appeared to think he was running for US Senate once again, mixed up his wife and sister, and fired insults at a union worker during a conversation over gun laws. Biden’s gaffes appear to be far more frequent than anytime in his political career. As for his short fuse, Biden has a history of portraying a tough guy persona. In his late seventies however, the push-up challenges and old-fashioned insults seem to be getting old. These weaknesses are exactly the things that Donald Trump wants to exploit in Biden. The president will do his best to appear as the more mentally fit and emotionally stable of the two as November approaches. Biden must do his best to keep his cool and emphasize his strengths if he wants a shot at the White House.
Since the beginning of the Democratic primaries, the conversation has always centered around electability versus Donald Trump. Poll after poll shows Biden beating Trump in the 2020 election since he announced his run in April of 2019. Biden has shown confidence in these statistics throughout the Democratic debates, but may want to air on the side of caution. A nationwide poll is not the same as a nationwide election under an electoral college system. In 2016, Trump didn’t campaign to win the popular vote. He campaigned to win the presidency. By focusing on swing states such as Michigan, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin, Trump was able to upset Hillary Clinton who was a clear frontrunner in the polls leading up to the election. Donald Trump will continue to focus on rural America and the Industrial Midwest where his support is high. Additionally, he will continue to tout the strong economy in swing states where voters may not support Trump personally, but will vote for him over a seemingly greater risk.
This is where Joe Biden comes in. He is the safer bet to uncertain voters than a candidate such as Bernie Sanders who promotes a political and social revolution. Biden is the moderate who can win over disenfranchised Republicans as well as maintain the support of the Democratic establishment. However, concerns over his age and competency for such a rigorous job have left many voters wondering if Joe is truly the best option.
In order for Biden to survive the campaign trail against Trump, he must rely on a wide base of support. For Joe, it’s all about the endorsements of prominent politicians and public figures who can sway public opinion his way. In recent weeks, Biden has picked up major endorsements from once fierce competitors for the Democratic nomination. Each of these endorsements will help Biden gain the national support he will need in order to defeat Donald Trump. Since Biden has proved that his age will continue to play a significant role in his campaign, he must alter his approach to one of unity. By bringing the voices of his many previous competitors and current endorsers together, Biden will strengthen his claim of electability.
Joe must bring to the forefront the uniting rhetoric and charisma of rising Democratic stars such as Pete Buttigieg who ran a campaign on the politics of inclusion. Biden will benefit geographically from the endorsements by the likes of Kamala Harris in California, Beto O’Rourke in Texas, and Amy Klobuchar in Minnesota. On issues of race and justice, Senator Harris and Senator Cory Booker will prove integral to this campaign. When it comes to gun reform, Biden has already pointed to O’Rourke as the future. An informal endorsement from entrepreneur Andrew Yang will likely bolster Biden’s support from a coalition of young people seeking modern solutions for economic change. Billionaire Mike Bloomberg bowed out of the presidential race after a failed Super Tuesday, but his pledge to support whoever the Democratic candidate will be is a sign of financial security for the Biden campaign moving forward.
The list of endorsements for Biden runs deep in both the Senate and the House of Representatives along the common precedent that Joe Biden is the man who can beat Donald Trump. In order to do so, however, Biden will need to rely on the voices and the passion of the prominent figures who are propping up his campaign. By selecting his running mate early and hinting at potential members to fill his Cabinet that are qualified, Biden will portray to the American public that his campaign is greater than himself. Joe Biden’s common phrase that he will restore the soul of American democracy will be proven true only when he displays to the American people that his administration will be capable to meet the challenges of today.
The Democratic party appears to be running with Joe Biden as their presidential nominee. The months leading up to the November election will prove whether or not he is able to keep up.