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The Democratic candidate attacks the president in office: “He is divisive.” And he proposes an image of a moderate reformer (with some ambiguity)
by Marco Valsania
The Democratic candidate attacks the president in office: “He is divisive.” And he proposes an image of a moderate reformer (with some ambiguity)
5 ‘reading
Joe Biden, in the clash of the remote City Councils with Donald Trump, attacked the lack of a rigorous and responsible response by the White House to the coronavirus crisis. He called for a “national standard” in the fight against the pandemic. And he indicated that, if elected, he will recommend a vaccine, when it receives approval from the scientists, to the entire population. What’s more: that he will take it himself, if available, even before the end of the year. In the meantime, however, he reiterated the importance of a national campaign to wear masks and take precautions. Biden said the White House cannot make masks and vaccinations mandatory, even if it wants to, but that it can pressure local authorities to take action.
A moderate image
In a full question-and-answer exchange with a group of voters from both parties and independents, Biden strove to revive his image as a moderate and reassuring reformer. He invoked the “hope” that the country will be less divided, racially, socially and ideologically, than it appears today. And he promised, if elected, to be the president of all Americans, even those who voted against him, against Trump, who, he accused, divides the nation.
More opportunities for African Americans
Biden openly called for the vote of African Americans, in a season marked by protests for racial justice and against police violence, committing himself to reforms of the justice system. He admitted that an old crime law that he sponsored in the 1990s that actually penalized ethnic minorities contained “errors.” He added that he intends to strengthen economic opportunities for the black community to combat not only discrimination, but also historical wealth inequalities. He also recalled that he had always defended the rights of gays and transgender people, including transgender blacks who are particularly vulnerable to abuse and violence.
Economic reforms
On the economy, he has shown his intention to eliminate only the tax cuts approved under Trump’s presidency for the highest incomes, more than 400 thousand dollars a year, and to bring the corporate tax rate to 28% from the current 21% in compared to 35% in the past. The resources obtained will be used to invest in the future, improve the quality of life and social security of many Americans. He then outlined an industrial plan to promote Made in the USA. He denied that he wanted to ban fracking, hydraulic fracturing for the extraction of crude oil, but promoted renewable energy. And he cited a Moody’s study estimating how his strategy could create millions more jobs and more growth than Trump’s policies.
Doubts about the Supreme Court
The difficult balance that Biden seeks between a moderate face and pressure from the progressive wing of the Democratic Party has surfaced at times. The police rejected appeals to cut funds. On the environment, he denied supporting the Green New Deal: it is too ambitious, although it is presented on his electoral website. Above all, it has not resolved the Supreme Court knot. He promised to clarify his position until now ambiguous by the elections: that of the reform of the Court, today in the hands of a conservative majority strengthened under the Trump presidency. Some Democrats are proposing to expand its membership, an idea previously rejected by Bidn but now overlooked. Biden preferred to emphasize that today the stakes are high in the Court: he could become decisive on burning issues such as the right to abortion and the Obamacare health reform. And this makes it even more crucial to elect presidents and senators who nominate and confirm other justices committed to the protection of similar laws and rights.
