Joe Biden's Candidancy for The Presidential Elections

Introduction

There are a total of 23 candidates running for president in the 2020 election: 19 Democrat candidates and 4 Republican candidates. Out of all 23 candidates, only a few will lead in the race, with one of them being Joe Biden. Joe Biden has an impressive educational background; in 1965, he received his bachelor’s degree from the University of Delaware, and three years later, he earned his law degree from Syracuse University. In 1966, one year after his graduation from the university, he got married and later had three children. After his law school graduation, Biden moved back to the town he grew up in, which was New Castle, Delaware. He soon ventured into politics, serving on the New Castle Council from 1970 to 1972. He was then elected to the U.S. Senate, becoming the fifth youngest person ever elected at only 29 years old. Biden wanted to remain a senator and ended up winning six times, making him Delaware’s longest-serving senator. In 2008, Biden ran for president, placed fifth, and later dropped out. On August 23, President Obama selected Biden to be his vice-presidential nominee, and he took his oath of office as vice president in 2009. Biden and Obama were reelected in 2012.

Joe Biden's Candidacy for The Presidential Elections

There are numerous pressing issues for a president to address, some of the most important being gun control, climate change, education, health care, abortion, and criminal justice. Biden also has specific views on improving the middle class. Joe Biden’s stance on gun control is that he would like to ban assault rifles and implement universal background checks. Joe Biden has advocated for stronger gun control since before he became vice president. According to PBS.org, “Biden also voted in 1993 for the Brady bill, which established waiting periods for handgun purchases and created the current background system” (Conciatori, 2019). Biden has strong views on climate change; when he was vice president, he helped create the Paris Climate Accord. Biden always had strong views on the importance of climate change; in 1986, when Biden was a senator, he introduced a bill to create a task force for the issue. According to PBS.org, “Biden has called climate change an existential threat and has urged the Trump administration to take action on the issue” (Conciatori, 2019).

Regarding education, Biden wants to make public college free. The reason for this is to ensure everyone has access to a quality education. According to EducationNext.org, Biden said, “Sixty-five out of 100 jobs today require more than a high school degree” (EducationNext, 2019). This quote explains why he wants to make college free; a college education is necessary for over half of the good jobs in the U.S. In 2015, President Obama also supported free community college, but nothing ever came of it. The cost of free college would be $6 billion a year for the government.

Joe Biden is also very strong on healthcare. According to CommonwealthFund.org, “Joseph R. Biden Jr. of Delaware unveiled a healthcare plan Tuesday that he said would provide health insurance for all children, offer more coverage options for adults, and focus on disease prevention and modernizing the nation’s healthcare system” (Carey, 2019). This statement highlights the importance of healthcare to Biden and some changes he wants to implement to improve it, especially for people in poverty. He aims to provide healthcare to children in families with incomes of at least 300 percent of the federal poverty level, or $61,950 for a family of four, with coverage extended to at least age 21 (Carey, 2019). Biden also wants the government to pay for 75 percent of healthcare costs if they exceed $50,000. Biden believes “that healthcare should be a right for all and not a privilege for the few” (Astor, 2019).

When it comes to abortion, it’s challenging for Biden to have a definitive answer because he is a religious Catholic. It seems like Biden is not in favor of abortion but won’t impose anti-abortion laws or restrictions, as he doesn’t believe he should impose his personal opinion on others. As a senator, he voted against funding for abortions multiple times. According to The New York Times, “he believes life begins at conception, though he emphasized that this was a personal view and that he did not think it was appropriate to impose it on others through abortion restrictions” (Astor, 2019). This quote explains his personal views on the matter but also indicates that if he became president, his opinion on abortion wouldn’t influence law-making.

Joe Biden has a strong view on the middle class. According to his website, he stated, “This country wasn’t built by Wall Street bankers and CEOs and hedge fund managers. It was built by the American middle class.” He also mentioned, “We need to rebuild the middle class, and this time make sure everybody comes along regardless of race, gender, religion, sexual orientation, or disability.” These statements reflect Biden’s commitment to ensuring the growth of the middle class in America.

Another significant issue for Biden is improving the criminal justice system. He wants to end racism within the system and address disproportionate jail sentences for crimes committed. According to Joe Biden’s website, “we have to take action to reduce gun violence and hate crimes, strengthen the landmark Violence Against Women Act, and insist on real community policing that builds trust and makes every community safe.” This statement encapsulates the main points of what he aims to change in the criminal justice system.

Joe Biden has been known to criticize the current president, Donald Trump, often. He does not agree with many things Trump says. According to Ballotpedia.org, Biden stated, “if we give Donald Trump eight years in the White House, he will forever and fundamentally alter the character of this nation, who we are, and I cannot stand by and watch that happen” (Ballotpedia, 2019). This quote effectively demonstrates that Joe Biden does not support Donald Trump.

Conclusion

The reason I find Biden interesting is because of all the tragedy he has faced in his life; his wife and daughter died in an accident, and his son died from brain cancer. Despite all this tragedy, he continues to move forward and endure the stress and work that come with being involved in politics and potentially the presidency. While I may not agree with all of his views, I respect his resilience and dedication. I believe that with Biden’s ideas, many people will support him, making it likely for him to play a significant role in the 2020 election.

References

• Astor, M. (2019). Joe Biden on the Issues: Where He Stands on Abortion, Gun Control, Health Care and More. The New York Times. Retrieved from https://www.nytimes.com
• Ballotpedia. (2019). Joe Biden Presidential Campaign, 2020. Retrieved from https://ballotpedia.org
• Carey, M. (2019). Biden Unveils Health Care Plan. CommonwealthFund.org. Retrieved from https://www.commonwealthfund.org
• Conciatori, J. (2019). Joe Biden’s Long Record on Gun Control. PBS.org. Retrieved from https://www.pbs.org
• EducationNext. (2019). Joe Biden on Education. Retrieved from https://www.educationnext.org