(My answer on Quora)
Joe Biden is part of the mainstream wing of the Democratic Party. In colloquial terms we would refer to him as a moderate modern ‘liberal’. This of course differs substantially from the original definition of Liberal, that places emphasis on the sovereignty of the individual over that of the collective (see the writings of Adam Smith and John Locke).
Source: Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
Biden is a collectivist. He also falls under the broader rubric of ideological progressivism which today encompasses virtually all of the Democratic Party to varying degrees. His historical political position fuses together a support for overarching big government regulations, various aspects of neoliberal trade policy and a strong deference to progressive values within the cultural milieu.
Like most Democrats he values identitarian politics (at least so in word) and is not afraid to weaponize this for votes at the ballot box. Joe Biden questions my blackness one moment, defends racist 1994 crime bill the next
In addition he envisions America’s future as necessarily linked to the alphabet soup of internationalist organizations who transcend the bounds of the old nation state. He has likely rationalized this stance, which ties into the ever broadening footprint of global corporate power, as being consistent with the supposed ‘right’ direction of the movement of history (how very Hegelian)
Biden 2020 aligns very closely with Barack Obama whose coattails he employed to navigate through the minefield of a tricky early primary campaign (despite a late endorsement by the former POTUS). He is not in anyway an original thinker and never has been. In foreign policy for one he offers a strong record of dismal failure, whose only consistency has been in erring with the initiative that is least likely to work. G-d help the Middle East if he brings in his own flawed version of an Iran Deal for example. Now there's no denying it: Obama's failed Iran deal wasn't worth the cost
Uncle Joe’s greatest strength though is an inner sense of knowing who to attach himself to. If there is a slip stream that he can run behind Joe Biden will be there - defective text message and all. He also has perfected the notion of appearing to lead while in all actuality following.
Source: The Mercury News
Heading a party that at times seemed only unified by the notion of ‘Orange Man Bad’, Biden’s greatest challenge will involve balancing the disparate segments of a fragile alliance that includes the far-left, neo-conservative interventionists, old school unionists, big tech, woke collectives of all stripes, hordes of nanny-staters and his mainstream base.
At 78. with the early signs of cognitive decline being all too apparent this won’t be easy. I actually pray for his health. Up until this point has been protected by a pro-Dem media that specializes in asking him softball questions akin to what he had for dinner. However nothing lasts forever and if he fails to deliver his sojourn in the White House Basement can move rapidly into the zone that will prove extremely uncomfortable. Remember he will be leading a United States that looks more divided than at any time since Reconstruction and his opponents look to be extremely energized.
No comments:
Post a Comment