In 2020, the grueling election process produced two candidates with close ties to the University of Pennsylvania: President Donald Trump, a 1968 Wharton graduate, and former Vice President Joe Biden, a former professor at Penn University of Pennsylvania.
Although both are connected to Penn, the similarities end there.
This November, more is at stake than ever before. The climate, the economy, our health and our lives are at stake. While we cannot undo the past four years of failed leadership under Trump, we can prevent the next four years from being like them. If that sounds like a noble goal, there is only one way forward: a vote for Biden.
The constant chaos emanating from the White House, the growing divisions in our nation and a worsening pandemic are all evidence of Trump’s shameful first term. As a result, the editorial board of the Daily Pennsylvanian Biden is endorsing Biden as president.
Tens of millions of people from Pennsylvania and beyond have already cast their votes, and tens of millions will do the same by election day.
Despite the fact that millions have not yet cast their votes, only a small percentage of voters remain undecided. The vast majority of Americans are convinced of Trump, Biden or both. Although some have their reasons for voting until the last minute, the last four years should make voting easy.
Biden deserves your vote because of his own merits as a candidate and the need to prevent another four years of Trump.
As president, Biden is likely to pass a huge stimulus package similar to the one passed over a decade ago under the leadership of former President Barack Obama. In today’s COVID devastated economy this is urgently needed. Biden would also adopt an ambitious climate plan that would lead the United States to net zero emissions by 2050. The plan would also attempt to close racial prosperity gaps by promoting tens of billions of dollars of investment in colored communities.
While voters may not be enthusiastic about Biden, the alternative is much, much worse.
Trump is an affront to American values. He has repeatedly violated legal norms, lied shamelessly tens of thousands of times and set an abysmal example to the nation’s young people. He has given racist conspiracy theorists the credibility of the mainstream, incited violence and waged a constant war against the media. These are not the actions that befit a president.
Trump’s actions have caused lasting damage to this country. His flagrant disregard for long-standing norms may encourage future presidents to avoid tradition in favor of brute power. His attitude to the racial issue has contributed to an increase in hate crimes and is likely to set racial relations back years. And his corruption, coupled with the lack of serious consequences for them, will enable greed in future politicians.
It is clear that Biden is not the ideal candidate for many Americans. Some will argue that he is too liberal, or not liberal enough, or too old to be president. But that is the essence of a successful presidential campaign. The best candidates bring together a voting bloc that does not agree on everything, but can agree on overarching principles.
Biden will bring back a sense of normality to the White House. He is a decent, honest man with the best intentions. His administration will be far better for this country than four more years of division, chaos and hatred.
More than eight months ago, we confirmed Senator Bernie Sanders for president in the middle of the Democratic pre-election period. Now we are calling on members of the Penn community to vote for Biden in the general election. We must unite to defeat the most notorious Penn export: Trump.
The editors represent the majority opinion of the members of the Daily Pennsylvanian’s editorial board, which meets regularly to discuss issues relevant to the Penn campus. Participants in these meetings are not involved in reporting on articles on related topics.
The views expressed in this article are those of the authors.
