A Biden Presidency: Perspective One
November 30, 2020
Despite our nation’s striking polarization, every American can agree that the 2020 election has been historic and influential. This year’s voter turnout shattered records, with both candidates breaking the record for most votes cast for a presidential candidate, previously held by Barack Obama. For the majority of voters, and myself, this election was about restoring character, decency, honesty, and hope in our nation, all of which were lost amidst the turbulence of the Trump administration. I, along with many Americans, want more policy and less politics, more facts and less lies, and more unity and less division. For nearly 80 million people, these ideals could only be fulfilled by a Biden administration. Aside from the feelings of overwhelming joy from Biden supporters as well as despair from those who backed President Trump, Joe Biden’s win will have tremendous effects on the COVID-19 pandemic, the course of the Democratic party, and foreign relations.
COVID-19 under a Biden presidency
At the forefront of voters’ minds right now is COVID-19. Many believe that President Trump’s handling of the pandemic has been disastrous, but what does a Biden presidency mean for our future? First and foremost, a Biden administration would work more closely with scientists and qualified professionals, like Dr. Anthony Fauci. This will be essential in creating a unified response to the pandemic, unlike the politicized nightmare that resulted from Donald Trump. The COVID-19 response should not be about Republicans vs. Democrats, but about the health and safety of the American people, a message that Joe Biden and Kamala Harris have repeated consistently. In addition, Biden has been a strong proponent of mask-wearing, something President Trump has mocked. Trump’s approach to masks has been highly irresponsible, resulting in the infection of at least 130 Secret Service officers, according to the Washington Post. We will most certainly not see this irresponsibility with a Biden administration. In regards to reopening, Trump has pushed false rhetoric that Joe Biden’s presidential agenda does not prioritize bringing kids back to school. However, the Biden/Harris website says that, “Creating the conditions to make it possible for schools to reopen safely and effectively should be a top national priority.” President Trump and his administration had several months to help schools reopen, but have failed to do so. Biden has released a promising plan on how to reopen both businesses and schools safely. Keeping our children and workers safe is key to reopening and a strong economic recovery.
Will the Biden administration be moderate?
One of President-elect Biden’s favorite mottos is “I will not be a Democratic president, but an American president.” This statement is a perfect example of his willingness to work with both Democrats and Republicans. Throughout his history in the Senate, Joe Biden has reached across the aisle several times. Some even consider him one of the best deal-makers in Congress’ history. During his time as Vice President, Biden was Barack Obama’s go-to for reaching out to Republicans. A good example is his successful effort to gather the three necessary Republican votes to pass Obama’s Recovery Act in 2009. Given that Biden is a traditional moderate, largely seeking to restore damages done by the Trump presidency, I don’t think he will prioritize the agendas of Bernie Sanders and “the squad” of left-wing congresswomen. His main focus for the time-being will be to help our country recover from the COVID-19 pandemic. In addition, given his age of 77 years, I don’t think it is likely that Joe Biden will seek reelection in 2024. That being said, his policies will not be aimed at pleasing the far left to retain support for the next election.
Foreign policy
The issue of foreign policy and relationships with our international allies has been another factor in the election. Trump’s “America first” motto and questionable foreign policies have received much criticism from lawmakers. Throughout his presidency, Donald Trump has made enemies with our friends, and has attempted to make friends with our enemies. He has been unwilling to cooperate with our allies in Europe and has even threatened to pull out of NATO, an absurd and potentially disastrous proposition. Joe Biden will undoubtedly improve relations with our allies abroad, shown by the enthusiasm of many foreign leaders in reaction to his victory. In addition, President Trump’s role in the Middle East and whether his “progress” in the region will continue under Joe Biden has been a highly debated topic. Most notable of Trump’s contributions to the Middle East is his peace agreement between Israel, the UAE, and Bahrain. The two Arab nations have a history of hostility with Israel, and Trump claimed that this U.S.-brokered agreement was “the dawn of a new Middle East.” However, one cannot give Trump much credit for this since, according to Foreign Policy, the UAE and Israel “had been cooperating on security matters for years behind the scenes.” It appears that Trump has done much more harm than good when it comes to foreign policy.
Another foreign policy issue that will certainly be affected by a Biden presidency is the Iran nuclear deal, or Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA). The deal forced Iran to redesign and shut down its nuclear weapons facilities. In exchange, all economic sanctions related to their development of nuclear weapons would be lifted. In 2018, President Trump withdrew from the JCPOA, saying it was a “one-sided deal” that favored Iran economically. While I do acknowledge the inherent flaws that President Trump cites, the JCPOA would have prevented Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons for about 10-15 years. That being said, I don’t think there was an alternative that would have ensured the non-proliferation of nuclear weapons in the Middle East, better than the Iran deal. As for the future of the deal, it seems that Joe Biden will rejoin the accord. Whether or not the Iranians will be complicit, though, is uncertain. However, any progress Biden will seek to make with Iran, may be curtailed by President Trump’s antics during his final two months in office. Very recently, Trump sought options to launch attacks against Iran to stop its nuclear program, but was dissuaded by his advisors. Such foolish behavior from the commander-in-chief would compromise any hopes for an agreement and would likely escalate conflicts in the region. A peaceful Iran deal is certainly a much better alternative to President Trump’s imprudent agenda.
Sources:
Biden Campaign Website
Washington Post
Secret service agents getting COVID-19
New York Times
Foreign Policy
