So, about Joe Biden.

[RedPanda]

Hey all! I am curious to hear thoughts on Joe Biden and Kamala Harris winning the presidency of the United States. I am particularly interested if you are someone who was eligible to vote in this election, but anyone is welcome in this thread, of course. What I am most curious about is the following:

I have heard from some friends and acquaintances that they are not happy with the outcome of the US presidential election because they were not happy with either candidate. I haven't, however, heard more detail than that on this sort of point of view. But I want to! I want to hear from folks who have different opinions than my own. What specifically made people feel this way? Yeah I can read an article about what reporters think people think, but that's not the same thing.

For the record, my opinion is that it was imperative to get Trump out of office immediately because of the harm he was (is) causing to our country and the world. Nothing mattered more to me, though other things do matter a lot.

But what are other folks thoughts? Please be kind, civil, and thoughtful in your responses. I look forward to hearing from you!

 

[ting1984]

I wasn't happy with either candidate and voted third party (Brian T. Carroll, American Solidarity Party; he got around 22,000 votes nationwide). However, I think Biden clearly won, and I doubt anything will come of Trump's attempts to contest the results. I attend a fairly conservative church, and even the pastor today prayed that the new president elect would be blessed, and no one complained. I do agree with your sentiment that we need to be kinder, more civil, and thoughtful. There is an increased tendency these days to try and throw fits, refuse to accept, or force the issue when things don't go our way (esp. politically), and look where that's gotten our nation--more divided than I can remember.

 

[Radio]

I guess I fall into that category you're speaking of. I'm relieved, not happy. There's a difference. I guess the way I can explain it is that to me, it's like replacing "the worst" with "bad". It's not as horrible as it was before but it isn't good either. Joe's entire campaign felt like his entire plan was just to revert everything back to 4 years ago. Things weren't good 4 years ago. They weren't as horrible as they are now, but they weren't good either.

It's just putting the "status quo" back in place. It's not progress. I wanted progress, but progress in the literal opposite direction of where Trump was planning to take the country so I did my part to get us back to square 0 instead of -100. But I don't want to be at zero. I want to be further than zero, and that's why I'm not happy.

 

[kayleee]

I voted for Biden, and like many people I voted for him simply because I strongly dislike Trump. And it’s about time there was a woman in office

 

[*The Oakboro Mayor*]

I am not yet old enough to vote, but I am happy that we have the first woman vice-president (not to mention African American and bi-racial!). I think Joe will do some good things with our country and I won't have to be so freaked out about the president and his daily life. With Trump, he did a bizarre thing every day. Granted, not all of it was bad, but it was most definitely weird. If you listen to John Mulaney's "horse in a hospital" bit it explains it really well. I'm excited to see what this new chapter of America will bring, even though family members and friends didn't really like anyone on the ballot. Joe's acceptance speech was very moving and so was Kamala's, and honestly??? I'm so excited to have pets in the white house once again. Major and Champ have my whole heart and that's a fact

 

[daringred_]

not american so maybe i don't have a place in this thread but my prime minister was very buddy-buddy with trump and perhaps i can offer an outside perspective.

biden and harris aren't perfect but they are better than trump and getting him out of office was the top priority given all the harm he caused to minorities and would've continued to cause had he won. we also don't know what exactly biden and harris are going to do moving forward and i think it's important that while we continue to campaign for greater change, we also actually give them a chance. furthermore, we should give people a chance to breathe and relax after the last four years of hell. yes there is still a long way to go for equality etc. but for a lot of people this was a massive victory and they deserve to celebrate it because if you wait until everything is perfect to celebrate, you may never get the chance. the smaller victories along the way are just as important and -100 to 0 is still progress even if it's a retread to somewhere we've already been.

 

[Imbri]

Here's where I probably get flamed, but you're asking for thoughts and opinions, and these are mine.

I'm happy about Biden's win. I keep seeing people on various sites saying that there's an immediate need to "force him to the left" (quoting a Tumblr post I saw). One, I don't think that will happen, and two, it shouldn't.

Joe Biden will be a one-term President. That's been understood from the outset, and I think a fair bit of his support was because people felt a course correction was needed. He's going to have enough to do, putting out the fires of the last four years. It's why we elected him, so let him do it.

He isn't far-left, and that's okay. My take, from 50-odd years of watching politics is as follows:

You run primaries on the outer flanks of the party (either one). This is where ideas come from and movements start. It's a good thing, but it isn't the endgame.

General elections move toward the center. This is because you not only need to get your party's vote, you have to convince folks on the other side to join you. That means the more extreme views need to be tempered. Not tabled, but they need to fit a broader audience.

Finally, governance happens in the middle. We've seen what happens when the edges run things. It isn't pretty and it disenfranchises a large part of the country. I get wanting to do a 180, but the pendulum will swing back on the next go around and nothing will be accomplished.

Yes, this will be something of a reset, but we need that. This isn't the destination, simply a station on the way.

Right now, we are so fractured it's ridiculous. I think Biden can start closing the gaps, if we let him. Honestly, given what he's walking into, who would really want the job? If he agreed to take it, the least we can do is give him a chance.

 

[Mr.Fox]

He isn't far-left, and that's okay. My take, from 50-odd years of watching politics is as follows:

This is off topic but, Imbri, you've been watching 50-odd years of politics and you still play video games? Honestly, my hero...

 

[MiniPocketWorld]

I wasn't happy with either candidate and voted third party (Brian T. Carroll, American Solidarity Party; he got around 22,000 votes nationwide). However, I think Biden clearly won, and I doubt anything will come of Trump's attempts to contest the results. I attend a fairly conservative church, and even the pastor today prayed that the new president elect would be blessed, and no one complained. I do agree with your sentiment that we need to be kinder, more civil, and thoughtful. There is an increased tendency these days to try and throw fits, refuse to accept, or force the issue when things don't go our way (esp. politically), and look where that's gotten our nation--more divided than I can remember.

I was just going to browse through this thread and only read but your post convinced me to post. Today at Church we also prayed for Biden and Harris (and Pelosi) just like we would for any other president (like Trump when he was elected). I think it is important that these kinds of things are mentioned more. I know there are varying beliefs out there, but I know we believe that the president regardless of party needs to be supported in prayer just the same as any other president and we want them (including Biden) to do well. We are all in this together.
---
As for the original post, Biden gives me deep concerns on multiple topics. Things he has supported and stated in the past (and pretty recent) disturbs me. Things that had fallen out of his mouth is unmistakably racist and sexist. I also feel like he is using Obama as leverage for favor in the Nation. Obama achieved what he did on his own and did not need Biden in particular to do so. It wasn't Biden behind the scenes. I am also not fond of Biden's behavior around women and children. Completely inappropriate and unacceptable (and it has been publicly recorded.)

Pertaining to the courts, I also don't think Trump will come up as victor. I could see him somehow winning another election in the future. Perhaps 2024. Even if the fraud is real and evident, it can't truly be tackled until it shows up more and the people doing it, whoever they are, get sloppier. Plus our court systems have their own issues.

Concerns I have with Trump is his inability to tolerate long term intense stress, cockiness, haste, and pride. His tweets are a large problem (although I think they toned down a little bit?) and he has posted alot of online propaganda. Some may say he just posts the truth, but if you look at the content unbiasedly most of it is propaganda. His tone doesn't help in difficult matters and delicate serious circumstances either. Also in my opinion it looks like to me the stress of being in such a position has gotten to him and worn on him alot. He has no business in being in office for another 4 years. Other concerns are how people tend to respond to Trump and romanticize him and the Nation as well as habitual exaggerating about him positively or negatively.

My prediction for Biden in this position is that he too will not be able to handle the stress and honestly it would not surprise me if someone replaces him in his term. Speaking of temperaments... Biden, while not into the obnoxious snide remarks like Trump, has been known for abrupt anger and uncontrolled outbursts when faced/confronted with difficult questions. Not good at all and I think may even be worse in the long run when dealing with foreign powers or a national crisis.

I voted for Jorgensen.

 

[SarahSays]

I voted for Biden. I’ve met him, as he went to my alma mater, the University of Delaware! He wasn’t my first choice at the primaries, but I think he is what the country needs right now. Also, heck yeah to having a woman VP!

Wildly dislike Trump. He is the villain we grew up watching in tv and movies. He’s childish, arrogant, and selfish. I want to play Animal Crossing, not worry about Trump doing racist, sexist, embarrassing things on the world stage. So over being embarrassed on his behalf. Thankfully in a few months this nightmare will be over.

 

[RedPanda]

Wow, thanks everyone for this really excellent discussion. I am really enjoying reading what everyone has written and I appreciate the fact that everyone is being really civil in what has been the most uncivil topic in our country for several years. That "horse in a hospital" bit was HILARIOUS. What a good way to frame it. Keep the convo coming!

 

[Imbri]

This is off topic but, Imbri, you've been watching 50-odd years of politics and you still play video games? Honestly, my hero...

Thank you! Gotta do something to stay sane.

 

[mayortiffany]

I would have voted for Biden and Harris had I lived in the United States on the simple basis that anyone would be better than Trump. The US only has two viable political parties, so if you want to see the incumbent leave, you have to vote for the other party, either Democrat/Republican depending of course on who's in power.

I haven't looked into their policies too much since of course, I can't vote for them, but I've been more so following the election broadly. Being an international relations student, it's something I have to keep up on for my studies.

On the topic of progressive politics (in the AOC, Sanders sense), I think that a more moderate ticket is going to be necessary to work on bridging the partisan divide that exists in the United States. If I'm being honest, I don't think that a more progressive candidate like Bernie Sanders would have been able to win the general election simply because the way that progressive ideas are framed right now are potentially very alienating to large tracts of the American electorate - eg. "defund the police" being used as a weapon by the Republicans against all Democrats regardless of whether or not that candidate actually campaigned on that platform or not, and with reference to a general stance that's actually been proposed by some abolitionists rather than a more "reform/reallocation" stance. I would anticipate that the election results once broken down by demographic are going to show that.

There are a number of progressives in the Democratic Progressive Caucus who I think do a much better job of pushing for policy who should be looked to for advice within the party over some that have been extremely flashy with their approaches like the Squad and Sanders, who are more so ideologues. Refusing to work with the other side is going to get you nowhere in a country where 70+ million people voted to see the other guy get elected. Biden's unity stance was very much appreciated by this Canadian.

In all actuality, Biden and Harris' policies are pretty progressive in terms of what past American leaders have proposed. But, if you want to implement your policies, you need to actually win elections to have a chance of doing that. I thought Biden and Harris had an excellent chance of winning, and they did. They're candidates with extensive experience in governance and will likely be able to lead the United States well. And they're a lot more civil than their predecessors. I'm happy with the outcome.

 

[Corrie]

To me, it's not so much about Biden as it is to get Trump the heck outta there. He was so toxic and I look forward to seeing Biden repair the US or at least not destroy it like Trump was.

 

[Antonio]

TBH, I voted Biden because I couldn't stand Trump in office. While I may not like Biden as much compared to Bernie Sanders, Biden does have some wonderful promises that I hope he would actually go through with.

1. Give Every American Affordable Health Care -

" Giving Americans a new choice, a public health insurance option like Medicare. If your insurance company isn’t doing right by you, you should have another, better choice. Whether you’re covered through your employer, buying your insurance on your own, or going without coverage altogether, Biden will give you the choice to purchase a public health insurance option like Medicare. As in Medicare, the Biden public option will reduce costs for patients by negotiating lower prices from hospitals and other health care providers. It also will better coordinate among all of a patient’s doctors to improve the efficacy and quality of their care, and cover primary care without any co-payments. And it will bring relief to small businesses struggling to afford coverage for their employees. "

I do like the concept of having a public option available to everyone while allowing people to keep their private insurance. It's an interesting concept which I support. Source: https://joebiden.com/healthcare/

2. Marijuana - While there has been nothing on the topic of legislation, Joe Biden has stated before we should decriminalize marijuana.

“We should decriminalize marijuana,” he said during a town hall event last month, adding, “I don’t believe anybody should be going to jail for drug use.”

However his solution is to require people to go through a drug program instead of being locked in prison. He said:

“Anybody who gets convicted of a drug crime—not one that is in terms of massive selling, but consumption—they shouldn’t go to prison. They should go to mandatory rehabilitation,” Biden said at a campaign event in Kenosha, Wisconsin last week. “Instead of building more prisons, as I’ve been proposing for some time, we build rehabilitation centers.”

“Mandatory. They’ve got to go to mandatory rehab, but it’s not part of the record when they get out if they finish it,” he said, adding that having a criminal record often prevents people from obtaining housing, financial aid for school and other public benefits.

While I still think this is a step up, I would prefer legalizing marijuana at a federal level. Source: https://www.marijuanamoment.net/bid...gs-to-enroll-in-mandatory-treatment-programs/, https://www.marijuanamoment.net/what-joe-bidens-presidential-victory-means-for-marijuana-in-2021/

3. LGBTQ+ Rights - Instead of quoting the bits I personally enjoy, I'll just provide a source as I do enjoy hat is stated. Source: https://joebiden.com/lgbtq-policy/

If you want to learn more about his platform, click here.

Regardless as of what is stated above, I have also heard other things that I can't find on his website. Some examples, Joe Biden intends to use executive orders to reverse trump policies (https://www.washingtonpost.com/poli...b9c1d0-210b-11eb-b532-05c751cd5dc2_story.html), support paid maternity leave and move up the federal minimum wage up to 15$ (https://www.usatoday.com/story/mone...t-minimum-wage-diversity-training/6124841002/), and more. I may be critical of Joe Biden but I hope he is able to carry out his promises.

 

[slzzpz]

Still pretty depressing that almost half of the country wanted 4 more years of Trump and agrees with him.

 

[samsquared]

I voted for Biden
my best guesses for why some people (left/center-left, not magas who think the election was rigged) aren't happy falls into two camps:

1. biden isn't progressive enough. he doesn't support M4A in an historic pandemic & a time when the poor/unemployed could really benefit from federally-supported healthcare infrastructure. we aren't 100% sure how he is going to tackle the demands of the BLM movement, but he has stated numerous times he doesn't support defunding the police, which has REALLY irked many progressive + pro-black folks in a moment where "defund the police" has become one of the signature demands & battlecries of the movement.
this is the stance i most agree with personally. the rejection of m4a is ludicrous in a time where we most need universal healthcare. we've got a big storm coming if we think the covid vaccine will be free in this country. it is clear our fight with pharmaceutical companies is far from over. kamala harris is a former DA... of course they dont support defund the police. it is absolutely imperative that whatever civil rights bill gets proposed puts funding on the line to strongarm change & tries to bust some of these police unions, but it seems it won't happen- making whatever legislation comes out of this moment likely symbolic over substantive. that really sucks.

2. biden has a checkered past. as anyone who has been in politics for a gazillion years likely would, joe biden is "the ultimate [washington] insider" and has flipped positions on many different issues. he is touted by the dems as a "bridge builder" with repubs, but that makes these "bridge building" tactics, statements, & votes look worse & worse as time wears on. he has said a number of racist/sexist/homophobic things because the party at the time didn't support these social movements- which were only really given wings recently during the obama administration. it is hard to know what biden's personal stance on these issues really is- although we want to be open minded & hope he has changed his mind over time or that he always believed these things but hid it to gain political power, we don't really know.
i care less about this one- politicians say what they need to say to get elected tbh. you'd prefer a guy who's flexible to your ideas anyway & can have his mind changed than one who is set in his ways & says "no" to anything you push for. but idk! i get why someone would be like, bothered by this and i don't have a good refutation for it lol

how do i feel? let's see what his 100 days plan is. i'll decide whether i like him or not then. rejoin paris day 1 should be at the very top

 

[amemome]

Was eligible to vote and voted Democrat. My family and I experienced SO MUCH MORE OVERT RACISM (especially recently due to Trump calling Coronavirus the "Chinese Virus" and people just automatically assuming all East Asians are Dirty because of this...), so my main voting goal was to ensure a Trump loss.

Did not particularly like Biden/Harris as candidates (really questionable stances concerning BIPOC women and PWDs), but knew that the way U.S. Politics is currently structured, I've been considering it basically pointless to vote outside of Democrat/Republican. I was also in a swing state so it really mattered that I voted within the two major parties. If not, it would have made a Trump victory more inevitable.

If! It was a more ideal situation where candidates all had equal shots at the presidency regardless of whether or not there was a huge Party backing them, I think I might have gone for a Green or Lib candidate. Democrats tend to push more centrist candidates.

 

[N e s s]

I was one of the people that said he was too centrist during the primaries. Actually sat down and read his platform, he’s more progressive than he’s given credit for. I’m pretty enthusiastic and hope to see some of his policies put into practice, but with a Republican senate and now partisan SCOTUS I wouldn’t hold my breath. If he can lower prescription drug prices (specifically insulin) then I think this presidency will be a success in my book.

 

[deleted]

Still pretty depressing that almost half of the country wanted 4 more years of Trump.

This!^^^ I am so happy that Biden won. I would have voted for him if I was old enough. However, we can’t ignore all the votes that Trump got. It really hurt me to see that so many people are still under the spell of that bigoted, unstable man-baby.