Joe Biden, the anti-Trump on Coronavirus and everything else
Now that Bernie Sanders has withdrawn from the Democratic Party presidential nomination contest to leave Joe Biden as the presumptive nominee, the 2020 general election against Donald Trump has begun in earnest. One way or the other, the Coronavirus (COVID-19) will be the overarching issue in this year’s elections. The performance and behavior of Trump and Republican elected officials presents many lines of attack for the Democrats, as well as opportunities to show off their Democratic Party values. Two such lines of attack especially come to mind:
1. Republican incompetence
Donald Trump knew about the Coronavirus threat at least since last November. But as published timelines indicate, Trump repeatedly downplayed this threat, stating things like:
we have it totally under control. It’s one person coming in from China, and we have it under control. It’s — going to be just fine.
Trump also spent much of the past few months holding rallies and playing golf, as the number of Coronavirus cases and deaths kept mounting. And this is all two years after Trump fired the U.S. pandemic response team.
Likewise, Republican Governors have done no better in addressing this crisis. In Florida, for example, Republican Governor Ron DeSantis waited until way too late to issue a “Safer at Home” order that runs until April 30. Moreover, the DeSantis order had so many loopholes as to make it largely meaningless. For insstance, the Florida order permits churches and other houses of worship to stay open, which encourages large groups of people to cram into a crowded space. Similarly, the order designates gun and ammunition stores as “essential businesses” that may remain open during this time. And inexplicably, Florida’s order only prohibits public social gatherings of more than 10 people. Private social gatherings such as parties appear to be permitted. Perhaps this is the “Mar-a-Lago Loophole.”
2. Republican maliciousness and corruption
As if being incompetent wasn’t bad enough, Trump has targeted Democratic-majority states like New York and Illinois, withholding needed ventilators and other federal aid unless such states “treat us well, also.” This sounds like the same type of quid pro quo that, when threatened against a foreign nation, got Trump impeached.
Trump’s Navy Secretary, Thomas Modly, also fired Captain Brett Crozier of the aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt after Crozier sent a memo warning of Coronavirus spreading on the carrier. Modly flew to Guam to call Crozier “stupid,” then, after a fierce public backlash, had to apologize, and ultimately had to resign. Meanwhile, over 400 sailors aboard the Roosevelt have tested positive for Coronavirus, including Crozier himself, demonstrating that Crozier was right all along to stand up for his men.
This callous Republican disregard for human life was also on display from Texas Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick, who told Tucker Carlson on Fox News that senior citizens will:
take care of ourselves. But don’t sacrifice the country.
Patrick’s implication was that seniors should not use medical and hospital resources like Coronavirus testing kits and ventilators, but rather, fend for themselves (and presumably die in huge numbers) so that younger Americans can get healthcare instead. This kind of attitude in favor of culling the population was shockingly reminiscent of some of the practices in Nazi Germany, and also brings to mind the prescient statement of Congressman Alan Grayson in 2009 about the Republicans’ healthcare plan:
If you get sick, America, the Republican healthcare plan is this: die quickly.
Democrats promote their values
In contrast to these shocking actions by Donald Trump and Republicans, the Democrats can point to their actions promoting Democratic values in the face of the COVID emergency. For example, the Democratic-majority House of Representatives passed the CARES Act after they and Senate Democrats successfully added provisions such as expanded unemployment insurance. Now, the House, along with Democrats in the Republican-majority U.S. Senate, are calling for passage of new legislation that would provide assistance for small businesses, hospitals, state and local governments, and families. And Democratic Governors in New York, California, Washington state and elsewhere have been providing needed leadership, with comprehensive “Stay at Home” orders and other serious steps to combat the Coronavirus threat. Similarly, Joe Biden has been out front with impressive general election ads that hit Trump’s handling of the Coronavirus emergency.
Once again, the current crisis demonstrates that Republicans are for big corporations, and Democrats are for people. Hopefully, the Democrats will continue to hammer this important theme as the 2020 elections draw closer.
Photo by Matt Johnson, used under Creative Commons license. https://is.gd/mXBijz
