If you were appalled by President Trump’s speech concerning the coronavirus on Wednesday night – I only caught clips on Colbert myself – this fumbling, mistake-littered speech which appalled our allies and the markets alike made for a gaping opening for Trump’s political opponents.
Into this, Joe Biden (D-DE) charged with a proper delivery – by presenting his own plan. A speech on the subject, clearly laying out the proper principles for dealing with a pandemic on American soil, is in this ABC News link. I was impressed, because in a way he reminded me of Obama’s initial campaign. I voted for Obama, in part, because he insisted on treating Americans as adults. The preceding Bush Administration had admonished us to keep on shopping in the face of not one, but two wars. Obama was clearly a more serious politician than Bush or, following the Palin pick, Senator McCain.
I have to agree with conservative NeverTrumper Jennifer Rubin of WaPo:
Seeing what presidential behavior looks like is enough to bring tears to one’s eyes, especially knowing a new president won’t arrive until January at the earliest. The basics of leadership — mastering the facts that give one authority, displaying empathy, being honest about the extent of the crisis without fomenting panic and giving people a sense that they will not go without care — are entirely beyond Trump’s reach. To see them on display was like finding a precious family heirloom you had misplaced.
Biden closed with a series of promises that should not have been noteworthy. However, they now stand out, a bright light at the end of our very dark Trumpian tunnel. “No President can promise to prevent future outbreaks. But I can promise you that when I’m president, we will prepare better, respond better, and recover better. . . . We will listen to experts and heed their advice. We will rebuild American leadership and rally the world to meet global threats.” He added, “And I will always, always tell you the truth. That is the responsibility of a president. That is what is owed to the American people.” What a delight it would be to have a president who did not compulsively lie.
Biden had a rare opportunity to show how he would do the job. He and his top-notch staff who helped put together the plan hit it out of the ballpark. November cannot come soon enough.
