The 2020 Presidential Election - Who Is The Better Candidate? Trump or Biden

 Post #10 - Saturday November 1, 2020

Trump or Biden? 

The presidential election is two days away and I feel compelled to give my opinion about who I think is the better candidate based on their policies and character. When choosing a candidate in an election, I think most people look at what the candidates have done in the past and at what they say they are going to do after they get elected. Ideally, you would then make a decision based on who you think is better. When I started this blog on January 15th of this year (2020), I stated that I would address current hot button issues that have left this nation deeply polarized. I stated in my introductory post that I would address issues in an honest and objective way. The issue as to whether Trump or Biden would be better for this country is a controversial issue. This post is not meant to be a political statement or an endorsement. I respect the right of every citizen to vote for the candidate of their choice. I will not condemn or criticize anyone for voting for Trump or for voting for Biden. I encourage all Americans to respect their fellow citizens' right to support the candidate that they believe best represents their interests. I am forming my opinion of who I think is better based on the facts and devoid of emotion or hate. I will compare Trump and Biden and their respective parties on an issue by issue basis:

Democratic Party v. Republican Party

I have disdain for both parties. Neither party care all that much about the American people, and care even less about the democratic principles of our constitutional republic and the rule of law. However, the socialist, Marxist policies and platform of the Democrats are so radical and irrational that, if implemented, will destroy our economy and deprive Americans of many of their basic freedoms guaranteed by the Constitution. The country will look nothing like what it is today. Biden stated in the first presidential debate that he is the Democratic Party. Here is how Trump and Biden stack up on the issues.

COVID-19

Except for perhaps the economy, COVID-19 is the biggest issue as it relates to the 2020 presidential election. Biden, the Democrats, and their sycophants in the mainstream media have turned COVID-19 (coronavirus) into an effective political weapon against Trump. Most polls show that Trump is losing to Biden primarily because of his handling of the virus. Biden and the media have successfully blamed Trump for the reported 220,000 plus deaths from COVID-19, saying that he has not done enough to control the disease. Not only do I find blaming Trump for the deaths caused by COVID-19 repugnant and unethical, it also does not make any sense. This virus that Trump did not create, that he did not bring to this country was new to everyone. How this virus spreads and what precautions a person should take in order to prevent being infected was not clear for several weeks after it was introduced into this country. The virus had a long time to take hold in several regions of the country. One of the things that Trump did was close down travel from China where the virus originated, as well as, from Europe and other regions of the world where the virus had spread. Biden was against banning travel from other countries because of political correctness. Trump also provided protective equipment  and ventilators to states that were hardest hit by the virus. He used the military to set up additional hospital beds in New York which had a severe shortage. Trump worked with drug manufactures and researchers in their efforts to produce safe vaccines and treatments for the virus quickly. For Biden and the media, he did not act soon enough and he has not done enough. It should be noted that Biden called Trump Xenophobic when he first banned all travel from China that perhaps saved several lives. Even though Biden has stated numerous times that Trump hasn't done enough, about the only thing Biden has proposed that's different from what Trump has already done is institute a national mask mandate. Biden is also proposing another nationwide lockdown. A national mask mandate and nationwide lockdown seem to be a false narrative when it comes to eradicating COVID-19. Many European nations have instituted blanket nationwide lockdowns and mask mandates. Yet, there have been surges of the coronavirus in their countries just as there has been surges of the virus in parts of the United States. It is reckless and irresponsible for Biden, Democrats, and the media to blame Trump for the spread of the virus and the deaths resulting from the virus. It is also irresponsible for Biden to say he's going to control the virus. Another criticism I have of Biden, Democrats and the media is that they praise Democratic governors like Cuomo of New York, Newsom of California, and Whitmer of Michigan for doing a good job in responding to the coronavirus while at the same time condemning Trump for the job he has done. This is all nonsense and is irrational. If the Governors are doing a good job then so is Trump. If Trump is doing a poor job and is to blame for COVID-19 deaths, then Cuomo, Newsom, and Whitmer are responsible for the COVID-19 deaths in their states. Furthermore, if there is something else that Trump should be doing to prevent the spread of COVID-19, nothing prevents Congress, the Governors, and local officials of each state from implementing the policies that Trump hasn't implemented. Democrats and the media are well aware that the dangerous narrative of doom and gloom they are pushing is false. The reported 220,000 plus COVID-19 deaths to date is only about eight percent of the yearly average number of deaths in this country which is about 2.7 million people as of 2017. Well over ninety five percent of all persons that get infected with COVID-19 will recover. No one wants to see people die. We all have experienced the loss of loved ones, and each loss is extremely painful. But death is an unavoidable part of living. To see the Democrats and the media politicize the deaths from COVID-19 by making it appear that these are the only deaths occurring in America is repulsive. Biden's claim in the debate on October 22nd that if you wake up in the morning and reach over in your bed and your love one is not there, and that it's Donald Trump's fault because they died due to his poor response to COVID-19 is one of the most insensitive, irrational, and outrageous statements among the many outrageous and ridiculous statements he has made during this election. The truth is that your loved one most likely died from something other than COVID-19 based on the 2.7 million deaths that occur on average each year in this country. Instead of spreading fear, Biden, Democrats, and the media should be encouraging people to take responsibility for protecting themselves, their families and loved ones by wearing masks, sanitizing their hands, and social distancing. My opinion is that Trump's response to COVID-19 with a targeted approach in regards to lockdowns, with emphasis on vaccines and treatments, a reliance on personal responsibility, and a reopening of our schools and the economy is a better approach than the doom and gloom that Biden, the Democrats, and the media is pushing about the virus that is responsible for only about eight percent of the 2.7 million people that die each year in this country. 

THE ECONOMY

As noted above, the economy and COVID-19 are the two biggest single issues in the 2020 presidential election. It is almost impossible to have a discussion about one without mentioning the other. The government's response to COVID-19 with shutdowns is having a devastating impact on the economy; and reopening the economy seems to be causing a dangerous surge in COVID-19 infections and deaths. Nevertheless, there are clear differences on how Biden and Trump will handle the economy. Trump said he will cut taxes, whereas, Biden said he will eliminate Trump's tax cuts that are now in place. Biden also said that he would raise taxes on those making over $400,000. So the obvious question is what impact will Biden and Trump's tax policies have on our economy? My understanding is that Biden justifies his tax cuts as being necessary to raise revenue to spend on social programs such as health care and social security, and to promote his policies to combat climate change. To me the conventional wisdom is that tax cuts, especially during the economic downturn because of the coronavirus shutdowns, will further stifle the economy and prolong and/or exacerbate the recession we are experiencing. Biden and Trump's positions on other issues have a direct impact on economic prosperity as well. Two big issues that came up in the second debate was fossil fuels and the related issue of fracking. Trump has been very consistent in his support for fracking. Biden has not. During the Democratic Primary, Biden denounced fracking and indicated he would ban it. Now that banning fracking is hurting him politically in the General Election, Biden now supports fracking, at least for now, until such time he wants to ban it and transition into renewable energy. Clearly, banning fossil fuels during the pandemic caused recession we are in will have a devastating effect on the economy. I give Trump the advantage here as well based on his consistent support for fracking, tax cuts, and his other policies that will benefit economic recovery. Biden's position on fracking appears to be dependent on the direction the political winds are blowing.

CLIMATE CHANGE

Invariably, when climate change is discussed, the economy is also in the mix just as any discussion about COVID-19. The position of Biden and the Democrats' on climate change is no secret. They believe it is an existential threat to our country and the world. It is no surprise that Biden and Democrats want to take immediate steps to eliminate our CO2 emissions in order to combat climate change. Democrats believe climate change is responsible for the devastating wildfires in California and the western United States, and the record number of storms in the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean. Trump's position on climate change can be described at best as being skepticism. He believes that the wildfires in California are the result of poor forest management. Trump also make claims that he wants clean water, clean air, and a clean environment. The best I can determine is that Trump is in favor of a gradual reduction in CO2 emissions from their current level. However, he has boasted that the United States produces less CO2 emissions than China, Russia, and India who are considered the other biggest polluters on the planet. But a bone of contention he has towards further reducing CO2 emissions is that there is no way to force China, Russia, and India to reduce their CO2 emissions as well which are greater than the United States. Trump believes a rush to eliminate CO2 emissions at this point of our economic recovery will destroy the gains we have made. I agree that we should proceed cautiously with any efforts to combat climate change because of the detrimental effects they will have on our economy. It will again cause us to be dependent on foreign oil. This will hurt us geopolitically and from a standpoint of national security. I give Trump the advantage here.

IMMIGRATION

There can not be a clearer distinction between Trump and Biden on the issue of immigration. Biden and Democrats do not believe there should be any restriction on immigration whether it is legal or illegal. They believe in open borders. They believe in immediate citizenship for DACA recipients and a pathway to citizenship for all other undocumented immigrants in this country. Their support for undocumented immigrants go so far as to provide sanctuary cities, healthcare, driver's license, and stimulus payments as a result of the coronavirus shutdowns. Trump and Republicans support border security that is enhanced by a border wall. Even though Trump and most Republicans support citizenship for DACA recipients, they are not as keen on a pathway to citizenship for other undocumented immigrants. Trump and Republicans do not support healthcare and other benefits for those that are in this country illegally. Trump and Republicans also believe that legal immigration should also be restricted, and they support travel bans to combat the coronavirus and terrorism. For me Trump gets the nod because his stance on immigration is not at all radical like that of the Democrats. Biden and Democrats policies on illegal and legal immigration will be disastrous for this country.

THE COURTS

There is also a clear distinction between Trump and Biden when it comes to the federal courts. It is no big secret that Biden and Democrats only support liberal judges and Republicans only support conservative judges. Obviously, the big fight between Republicans and Democrats pertain to filling vacancies on the Supreme Court. The most recent fight was over the vacancy on the Supreme Court resulting from the death of Ruth Bader Ginsburg, the iconic liberal Justice. This past Monday, the Senate confirmed Trump nominee Judge Amy Coney Barrett to the position on the Supreme Court left vacant by the death of Justice Ginsburg. Democrats fought hard to derail the nomination of Judge Barrett because of her pro-life, anti-abortion views based on her religion. She is a devout Catholic. Democrats also opposed Judge Barrett because they see her as a threat to Obamacare. The issue of court packing has come up relative to Judge Barrett's nomination and confirmation. Because Democrats could not stop Judge Barrett's confirmation, they have indicated they might pack the Supreme Court with three additional Justices if Biden is elected and they have control of the House and Senate. Court packing is a very divisive issue. Biden has refused to say with certainty that he will support any efforts by his party to pack the Supreme Court if he's elected. Biden said if he's elected, he will appoint a bi-partisan commission to study court reform. Trump adamantly opposes court packing. My opinion is that court packing would be dangerous for our constitutional republic. It would politicize the Supreme Court and destroy its independence, thereby marginalizing the separation of powers doctrine of the Constitution. Clearly, Trump's position is more stabilizing for our government.

 RACE/POLICE BRUTALITY/LAW AND ORDER/POLARIZATION

Race has come up many times during this election cycle primarily by Biden, Democrats and the media. It is clearly one of the most polarizing issues of our time. Much of the discussion about race has been within the context of police brutality against unarmed blacks. The Democrats have used the George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Elijah McClain, Jacob Blake, and a few other cases to push a narrative that police brutality is rampant and that it is a product of systemic racism within the ranks of our law enforcement agencies. Biden and Democrats also make the claim that systemic racism is pervasive throughout the rest of our society. Biden and Democrats have embraced the Black Lives Matter movement that has been the driving force behind national protests against police brutality. Many of the protests have turned into rioting and looting that has resulted in a number of deaths and significant damage to public and private property. Biden, Democrats, and the media have made race a huge part of the presidential election. They consistently call Trump a racist because of his tweets. They falsely claim that he has not condemned white supremacy; even though several videos exist of Trump doing that exact thing. Biden said that he decided to run for President because of Trump's response to the racial violence in Charlottesville. Trump stated that there were good people on both sides. Biden also said that Trump pours fire on every situation when it comes to race. 

It is Biden who has the questionable history when it comes to the issue of race. His position on criminal justice reform in the early nineties resulted in the incarceration of thousands of blacks that he referred to as predators. He heaped praise on the late Senator Robert Byrd, a former segregationist and ranking official in the KKK. Biden opposed busing in order to integrate public schools, saying he did not want his kids to grow up in a racial jungle. Biden has also said insensitive comments about blacks, saying you ain't black if you are considering to vote for Trump. He also said that blacks are not diverse like Hispanics. It is unquestionable that Trump has said things that can be considered racially insensitive. However, all of Biden, Democrats, and the media obsession about pushing the narrative that Trump is a racist based on Charlottesville, his policies on immigration, his response to alleged police brutality cases, and his condemnation of the violence in our big cities resulting from protests against law enforcement is delusional. To counter the claims that he is a racist, Trump has touted his economic policies such as opportunity zones that resulted in record low employment for blacks and other minorities prior to the COVID-19 induced recession. He also points out his criminal justice reform that resulted in the release of several blacks from prison. Trump also points to the bill he signed restoring funding to historically black universities and his proposed Platinum Plan that will further invest in the black community.

On the issue of law and order, Trump has been more consistent than Biden. He has always supported the police and condemned the rioting and looting in our big cities. Early on, Biden called police the enemy and seemed to encourage violent protest and violence against police officers. He called for reducing police funding while more radical elements of his party called for defunding the police. Recently he has changed his tone on police spending now calling for an increase rather than a decrease. He now condemns rioting and looting as criminal acts for political reasons.

Biden has been as equally polarizing as Trump based on his exploitation of race during the national debate on high profile cases involving the deaths of unarmed blacks by law enforcement, and his constant anecdotal claims of systemic racism in America. Biden's actions are totally inconsistent with his claim that he is battling for the soul of America, and that he will bring Americans together. On the issue of race, I don't give an advantage to either Trump or Biden.

CHARACTER 

I believe a debate about someone's character is also a debate about whether they are corrupt . On the issues of character and corruption, I don't believe in the conventional wisdom that Biden is superior to Trump. All you need to do is look at the influence peddling scandal involving Joe Biden's son Hunter Biden. The evidence seems to suggest that at the very least Joe Biden knew that his son was using Joe Biden's position as Vice President to receive millions of dollars from companies in Ukraine and China; and at its worst, Joe Biden was getting kickbacks. Joe Biden has denied having any discussions with his son Hunter about Hunter's foreign business dealings. Yet, Joe Biden has not denied that his son Hunter is the owner of a laptop containing damaging emails and other evidence that seems to show that Joe Biden knew of Hunter's suspicious business deals with the companies in Ukraine and China. Further casting suspicion on Biden as being corrupt is his own words that he denied foreign aid to Ukraine when he was VP if Ukraine did not fire a prosecutor that was possibly investigating a company named Burisma for corruption that employed Hunter Biden as a consultant. It appears that many people supports Biden over Trump because they believe Biden has a better personality than Trump; and therefore, has better character. Having a good personality does not always mean you have good character. Joe Biden is such an example. I don't see Biden or Trump having an advantage on the issue of character.

MY CHOICE BETWEEN BIDEN AND TRUMP

As I stated in the first paragraph, this is not meant to be a political statement or an endorsement. I have presented what I believe are indisputable facts about each candidate on the issues. I am not trying to persuade anyone to vote in a certain way. I encourage you to make your own decision and vote for the candidate that you think is best for America. However, I believe when you look strictly at the policies of Trump and Biden, it is clear that Trump's policies are vastly superior to Biden's policies and are less polarizing. Biden and Democrats' progressive policies will destroy this country. Biden and Democrats' policies call for open borders and sanctuary cities; unlimited costly social programs for undocumented immigrants; defunding and reduction in police expenditures and irrational police reforms that limit police officers' ability to do their job, that will result in a surge in crime in our big cities; gloom and doom responses to COVID-19 with economy destroying lockdowns; radical and costly climate change policies that will also wreck our economy, and will cause us to again be dependent on foreign oil; and last but not least, radical policies in response to perceived systemic racism and other radical social justice policies.