A5
THE ASTORIAN • SATuRdAy, JuNE 15, 2019
PRO-CON
Will attacks by Democrats on
Biden help reelect Trump in 2020?
AP Photo/Matt Rourke
AP Photo/Nati Harnik
Former Vice President Joe Biden speaks during a campaign rally at Eakins Oval in
Philadelphia.
President Donald Trump speaks at Southwest Iowa Renewable Energy, an ethanol
producer, in Council Bluffs, Iowa.
PRO: Biden may survive
primary attacks by progressives,
but they will help reelect Trump
CON: Progressive attacks on
Biden and Trump will clear path
for a new president in 2020
W
ASHINGTON — Donald
Many Democrats are running not on
Trump’s presidential luster
Obamacare but Medicare for all. Some
has diminished only slightly
would abolish Immigration and Cus-
toms Enforcement; most would go fur-
since he formally declared his 2020
ther than Obama did in liberalizing
candidacy in April.
immigration laws. The price tag of the
But that hasn’t kept other Democrats
Green New Deal makes Obama’s stim-
— more than 20 of them, at last count
ulus program look miserly.
— from jumping into the presidential
Yet the objective won’t be to
race to oppose former Vice President
emphasize Biden’s commonalities
Joe Biden, the current front-runner.
with Obama, who is still mostly
That sets up an interesting
beloved by progressives. It
dynamic: From now until the
will be to tie him to the Clin-
conclusion of the Democratic
tons’ centrist politics, which
primaries, nearly two dozen can-
didates will be running to drag
are increasingly rejected by the
down Biden’s poll numbers,
Democratic base and failed in
mostly from his left.
the last election.
W. JAMES
His top challengers are iden-
Biden was chummy with
ANTLE III
tity-politics progressives and a
Republicans and even Southern
socialist — Vermont Sen. Ber-
Democrats who had once sup-
nie Sanders, who honeymooned
ported segregation. And as the
in the Soviet Union. Even if they fail,
top Democrat on both the Senate Judi-
ciary and then Foreign Relations com-
they could weaken Biden ahead of a
mittees, Biden bore more responsibility
general election matchup against Presi-
dent Donald Trump.
for the 1994 crime bill and the war in
Biden’s chief asset is that he can
Iraq than did Hillary Clinton.
appeal to the working-class whites who
A strong progressive push against
live in the industrial states like Mich-
Biden may force him to apologize for
igan and Pennsylvania that narrowly
issue positions that resonate with the
handed Trump the 2016 presidential
voters likely to decide the election and
election.
abandon the bipartisan tone that con-
trasts him so favorably with Trump.
That’s because Biden is respect-
ful of their cultural conservatism, even
It will also help Trump hit Biden
if he doesn’t share it and is generally
on Iraq, the crime bill, trade and other
a throwback to older Democratic poli-
issues the president previously used
tics from less Trumpy and tumultuous
successfully against Hillary Clinton.
times.
Some Democrats won’t vote, oth-
ers will go third-party and a few in the
Many on the left, however, want
right places might even pull the lever
to match Trump tweet for tweet. They
for Trump as a result.
are angry at the status quo and want a
Progressives will undoubtedly argue
Democratic nominee who shares their
that this is why Democrats should not
anger. They also want an unapologetic
nominate a presidential candidate who
defense of abortion rights, even in later
would be vulnerable to Trump on these
stages of pregnancy, rather than out-
reach to blue-collar Catholics in the
issues in the first place and turn to one
Rust Belt.
of their preferred contenders instead.
They see climate change and gun
But that strategy also is risky: what
violence as existential crises to be con-
if progressives are wrong in their belief
fronted head-on, not wedge issues to be
that the country is ready to elect a pres-
ident to the left of Obama?
carefully messaged to hunters and coal
Socialism, reparations for slavery,
miners in swing states. If it was up to
programs that may require tax increases
these progressives, Trump won’t even
on families who are not wealthy, even
be on the ballot come 2020, because he
impeachment could all backfire at the
will already have been impeached.
ballot box or inspire a third-party cen-
Democrats know they can run to
trist to run, handing Trump a second
the left of Bill Clinton and win. Barack
term.
Obama proved it. What is less certain
W. James Antle III is the editor of
is how far to the left of Obama can they
American Conservative magazine.
go and still win — but progressives
would like to find out.
S
EATTLE — Though Joe Biden’s
loss of the presidency will be a result
presidential runs in 1988 and
of his failure in the role of chief
2008 were abject failures, he’s
executive.
currently leading the polls.
Trump’s negligence in protecting
But despite the polls, it isn’t just
marginalized groups, failure to fulfill
Democratic progressives who are
his own campaign promises and inabil-
ity to honorably represent America
attacking Biden; they’re joined by left-
ist media, civil rights activists and, of
around the world have all contributed
course, his Democratic opponents.
to his decline in popularity.
During his time as the chairman of
Getting Trump out of office does not
the Senate Judiciary Committee,
hinge on Democrats uniting in
Biden ushered the Violent Crime
support of Biden, even with his
Control and Law Enforcement
reported leadership in polls.
Act of 1994 through Congress
Voting power isn’t about
using fear-shaping “super-preda-
picking the lesser of two evils;
tor” rhetoric.
it’s about organizing as a com-
munity in support of policies
South Carolina Democratic
AMANI
that serve the collective. Nei-
Rep. Jim Clyburn recently
SAWARI
ther Biden nor Trump serves the
warned audiences on CNN to
collective.
“do a little more research and
During Biden’s “mass incar-
see exactly how we got to where
ceration era” we saw prison popula-
we are.” And Clyburn is not the only
tions explode in growth. We cannot be
outspoken Democrat who’s attacked
satisfied with just an end to the mass
Biden. Many of his primary opponents
incarceration era. We need a decarcer-
also are mounting vigorous attacks,
ation era. And Biden, the champion of
including New Jersey Sen. Cory
“tough on crime” legislation, is inca-
Booker, California Sen. Kamala Harris,
pable of leading the coming era of
South Bend Mayor Pete Buttigieg and
decarceration. Democratic progressives
New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio.
are insistent on addressing the hun-
It’s not just the crime bill that will
dreds of thousands of cases of individ-
haunt Biden among citizens who desire
uals who’ve been swallowed up by the
to see a positive transformation of our
beast that Biden shaped with his ‘90s
criminal justice system. It’s a string
politics.
of laws that Biden sponsored during
The ineffective leadership of both
his time as chairman of the Judiciary
Biden and Trump is clearing the path
Committee.
for a more viable candidate who will
Biden needs to be criticized and citi-
zens should not hesitate to call him out
respond to the needs of the people in
on his politics for fear of Trump con-
ways that these two are incapable of
tinuing to be power. Trump doesn’t
fulfilling.
have enough support to be reelected
Amani Sawari is a leading cham-
pion of prisoners’ rights.
regardless of attacks on Biden. Trump’s
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