Joe Biden, Will You Please Go Home Now?

Like most Democrats, I will end up voting for whoever is the nominee for my party. I would like to think we learned our lesson back in 2016 - I know I surely did - however, I am worried about who might end up getting nominated.

If someone is going to be the Democratic nominee in 2020, they cannot be the nominee overwhelmingly on the basis that they can supposedly beat Trump. Former Vice President Joe Biden fits this category. Yes, the Democratic Base has Biden crushing Bernie Sanders and all the other candidates in the polls right now, but it is not the Base that decides who wins the Presidency. If that were true, we would have President Hillary Clinton right now. Instead, it is Independent voters (who make up a voting bloc larger than both the Democratic and Republican Parties) and people who are dissatisfied with the status quo, people who are probably not wanting to back someone who represents the status quo of the Obama administration.

Though one big part of the reason why Hillary Clinton lost was that people disliked her and because of sexism (both of which are tied closely together), another big part was that she represented the status quo. Clinton, who has been a big name in American politics for over 25 years, was seen as part of the problem, not part of the solution. Joe Biden is no different, having served as Vice President under Obama for eight years, and as a Senator for almost another 40 years or so. And the big problem with the status quo in America is that despite President Obama's optimistic hope and change rhetoric, working class families have not seen the economic recovery that Wall Street bankers and hedge fund managers have.

Tempting as it might be for people to vote for Joe Biden because he represents "a steady hand," just because he could possibly win does not mean that everything will go back to normal once he is inaugurated. Actually, voters might feel immediate buyers remorse once they realize that Biden represents the old status quo before Trump, where nothing has really changed for them economically. After all, Trump was elected on a promise to bust the status quo and "drain the swamp." Electing Biden is an easy short term move, but Democrats will need to think in the long term if they want to do away with the corruption and graft of the Trump administration and format our government to be more "for the people:" that is, a more social democratic government that ensures everyone has health insurance and that serious efforts will be made to fight the climate crisis. Biden only represents a promise to return to normalcy and not real, positive change.

Joe Biden is also selfish for running. He has already ran for the Democratic nomination twice: in 1988 and in 2008, and lost both times. He is currently 76 years old, and if elected, he will be 78 on inauguration day. He is at the age where he could die at anytime (and it would be perfectly normal). Also, Biden, who has not only had his shot at the Presidency and has gone all the way to become Vice President, also served for nearly 40 years as a Senator. He has had a long career in public service. His time is up. He should go home so that someone younger can have a chance at the Presidency.

Lastly, Joe Biden has a lot of skeletons in his closet, such as the fact that he was against desegregation busing and the fact that he handled the Anita Hill case disgracefully. He voted for the Iraq War. He voted for DOMA. He authored many of the tough-on-crime anti drug bills that became law during the 1990s. He was very cozy with the credit card industry during his time in the Senate. To top it off, he is also very handsy, refusing to respect the personal space of women he touches in public.

Now Donald Trump obviously is no saint, and when you compare the two men, Biden cannot hold a candle to Trump's ties to the Mafia, his hush money payments to porn stars, and his numerous bankruptcies (of casinos, mind you!), but Trump is the greatest expert at making himself look good at the cost of his opponents. He will lie and cheat and repeat through the end of his days in order to win, and just like he did with Hillary Clinton, he will slander Joe Biden until he is disliked even by the base.

Joe Biden, please do us all a favor and go home now. You do not represent the future of the Democratic Party, the preservation of the United State of America, or its Constitution. You will not ensure that our country will move forward after four years of Donald Trump. You have given many years of your life in the name of public service and you are appreciated, but now is the time to perform the greatest act you can do now: go home.