America, which chose Donald Trump as president in 2016, has become miserable and divided. Now that Trump is asking Americans to re-elect him again in the US presidential election 2020, the United States risks becoming even more miserable and even more divided. After nearly four years of his leadership, politics became angry, the daily life of Americans is swallowed up by a pandemic amid quarrels, worries, and lies, writes The Economist.
Democratic candidate Joe Biden is not a miracle cure for America’s current suffering. But he is a good man who has a chance to restore stability and order in the White House. He is ready to begin the long and difficult task of reassembling a fragmented country.
Donald Trump and his administration can share their common political mistakes and setbacks just like their predecessors. But as the guardian of the values of the United States, the conscience of the American nation, and the voice of America in the world, Trump was defeated.
Without COVID-19, Trump’s policies could well guarantee him a second term. His domestic policies included tax cuts and deregulation. Before the pandemic, wages among workers grew by 4.7% per year. Small business confidence in the US has also increased.
By limiting immigration, he gave his voters what they wanted. Abroad, his foreign policy approach had both negative and some positive consequences. America promoted peace agreements between Israel and a trio of Muslim countries. Some NATO allies are finally spending more on defense. The Chinese government knows that the White House now sees it as a formidable adversary.
However, Trump’s policies have led to many negative moments. The tax cuts were regressive. Some of the deregulations has proven to be harmful, especially to the environment. The attempt at health care reform was a disaster. Immigration officials brutally separated migrant children from their parents. In terms of difficult issues, with regard to North Korea and Iran, as well as with respect to achieving peace in the Middle East, Trump’s decisions were also not completely successful.
Over the past four years, he has repeatedly violated the values and principles that have made America a refuge for its own people and a beacon for the world.
If recent U.S. presidents considered toxic partisan divisions bad for America, Trump made this division central to his office. He never sought to represent the interests of Americans who did not vote for him. Faced with protests following the assassination of African American George Floyd, his instinct was not to help America heal, but to portray it as robbery and violence, which only worsened racial tensions in the United States.
The main feature of the Trump presidency is his disregard for the truth. Trump’s words cannot always be trusted, including his claims that Biden is involved in corruption.
Partisan divisions and lies undermine American values and policies.
For example, you can look at a pandemic. Trump had the chance to rally his country around a well-organized response to the spread of the coronavirus and win re-election like other leaders. Instead, he began to blame the Democratic governors for all the problems, and also came into conflict with the WHO.
Trump treated America’s allies with disrespect, even as alliances increase US influence in the world.
Four more years of a US president like Trump would deepen this harm. In 2016, American voters did not know who they chose. Now they understand this. Trump’s re-election will put democracy at risk.
Joe Biden could be the beginning of the road to “reconciliation.” He would like to rebuild America’s outdated infrastructure, fund more health care and education, and overhaul US immigration policies.
Its climate change policy calls for investment in research and technology. He is a competent administrator and believes in change. He listens to expert advice. Biden is less confrontational than Trump but more focused.
A decisive democratic victory will also benefit the Republicans. According to dissident Republicans, “Trumpism” is already losing ground. The Republican Party needs a revival.
America will have a fateful choice in this election. The future of American democracy is at stake. One path leads to a personalized government dominated by a head of state who despises decency and truth. Another path could lead to a better future, to the return of the values that once made America an inspiration for the whole world, the magazine concludes.
Ahead of the final round of the Trump-Biden debate, a Gallup poll showed that 56% of Americans believe Trump does not deserve a second term. Historically, in the United States, all candidates with an approval rating of 50% or above won re-election, while presidents with an approval rating well below 50% lost.
It should be noted that Biden has the best ratings before the election than any contender for the presidency of the United States since 1936.
