It took immeasurable courage and a superlative amount of humility for Joe Biden to end his campaign, the latter quality not being something many presidents have had in abundance.
We knew for some time that the GOP was legitimately frightened by this possibility. You did not have to read between the lines too hard when — long before Biden made his announcement — Speaker of the House Mike Johnson started suggesting that the GOP would file suits to block access to ballots if the Democrats changed candidates.
While many legal experts believe this strategy will fail, Johnson has a track record as a failed election obstructionist. To contest the 2020 election, he devised the “independent state legislature theory,” which was ultimately struck down by the Supreme Court. Filing frivolous lawsuits designed to muddy waters and drag out processes in hopes that the clock will run out or the electorate will become numbed with exhaustion (or possibly turn violent) is perfectly on brand.
But when Johnson immediately called for Biden to step down as president in an attempt to buy time to find useful things to say or do about facing a new and potentially stronger opponent, the fear became far more palpable.
With Vice President Kamala Harris likely to be the new nominee, the GOP is already trying to saddle her with Biden’s record.
Let them.
Yes, Harris will have to answer some tough questions about the border, but let’s not pretend that former President Trump had that situation — or any other situation — under control. Apart from that, the record under Biden and Harris has been incredibly good and very popular.
After the devastation brought upon the economy by Trump’s mishandling of COVID-19, Biden and Harris put it back on track: the gross domestic product has not only bounced back, but is exceeding pre-pandemic projections; unemployment is back to near-record lows; real income is higher than before the pandemic; the wage gap is shrinking, and even inflation is getting back to normal rates.
The Biden-Harris administration signed into law an expansion of background checks for gun purchasers that an overwhelming majority of the electorate had wanted, violent crime is falling rapidly, and property crimes are lower now than they ever were under Trump.
The Biden-Harris administration oversaw the largest investment in our country’s future since Eisenhower, addressing our aging infrastructure, future-proofing our economy by investing in domestic production of technology, expanding healthcare coverage, and reducing the costs of prescription medications.
Not surprisingly, these policies are overwhelmingly popular with voters.
But it is a better strategy to attack Harris for Biden’s record than to discuss Trump’s own record. The few things Trump actually did were strongly opposed by most voters.
Trump signed the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, an unpopular bill that expanded national debt while mostly benefiting the wealthy. Fewer than half of Americans approved this bill before it became law, and when they saw it in action, it became even less popular.
Trump appointed three Supreme Court Justices who quickly overruled the majority of Americans by overturning Roe v. Wade.
Then there was the daily grind of having Trump in office. The constant string of lies, trade wars launched against our allies, suggesting we might self-medicate with bleach, a revolving door of senior staff, and denying election results long after the facts became perfectly clear. Trump was also the main reason for the GOP’s poor showing in both the 2018 and 2022 mid-terms.
Trump’s record has only gotten worse: he’s been found liable for sexual abuse, fraud, and is a convicted felon awaiting his sentence. Meanwhile, on the campaign trail Trump spews a constant stream of non sequitur-interrupted, fact-free half-sentences, incomplete thoughts, stories that make no sense, and out-of-touch railings against an America that has been on the rebound ever since he, like a petulant child, left the White House without admitting he was beaten fair-and-square by someone more popular.
Seriously: this is a contest between a former state prosecutor, U.S. Senator, and Vice President, and an incoherent sex abuser and fraudster whose only accomplishments in office were things most Americans did not want.
Why do I even have to write this column?
Because we learned our lesson with Hillary Clinton. Whatever reasons you have in your head about why Harris might not be your ideal candidate, you need to vote for her because staying home makes it that much more likely Trump gets a second disastrous term.
Will Wood is a small business owner, veteran, and half-decent runner. He lives, works, and writes in West Chester.
Source: Berkshire mont