My favorite neighbors are an elderly, conservative couple. We exchange Christmas cards and neighborhood gossip and sweets. They both told me last year that they hoped Joe Biden would get the Democratic nomination, because they were sick of Donald Trump and they trusted Biden and they “felt like they knew him.” I feel like that’s going to be a common story with a lot of seniors, even seniors who watch Fox News and lean conservative. Biden is knowable and known, he’s been a public servant for decades, and he’s just… Joe. Joe from Delaware, the guy who loves muscle cars and trains and Social Security. So, no surprise, Biden is leaning into that strength of being known. He’s betting on the fact that people know that he’s not some radical anti-police socialist, which is what the MAGA crowd wants to paint him as.
Joe Biden on Monday gave his most forceful counterargument to President Trump on the issue of law and order, arguing in Pittsburgh there would be more violence in America if the president is re-elected. What he’s saying: “You know me. You know my heart. You know my story. Ask yourself: Do I look like a radical socialist with a soft spot for rioters? Really? I want a safe America,” Biden said.
“He’s supposed to be protecting this country, but instead he’s rooting for chaos and violence. The simple truth is Donald Trump failed to protect America, so now he’s trying to scare America.”
Why it matters: Biden turned Trump’s accusation that the country can’t feel safe with Biden in charge back on the president — with a clinical reminder that: “These are not images of some imagined Joe Biden’s America of the future. These are images of Donald Trump’s America today.”
Trump continues to claim that cities run by Democrats are less safe. His re-election campaign has put out ads that say, “You won’t be safe in Joe Biden’s America,” and falsely claim that Biden supports defunding the police.
“I want to be very clear: Rioting is not protesting. Looting is not protesting. Setting fires is not protesting. None of this is protesting. It’s lawlessness. Plain and simple. And those who do it should be prosecuted,” Biden said. “He may believe mouthing the words ‘law and order’ makes him strong, but his failure to call on his own supporters to stop acting as an armed militia in this country shows you how weak he is,” Biden added.
The bottom line: “Does anyone believe there will be less violence in America if Donald Trump is re-elected?” Biden asked in one of the speech’s most memorable lines.
The MAGA crowd has now picked up on that last quote, “Does anyone believe there will be less violence in America if Donald Trump is re-elected,” like Biden was “threatening” the country, or blackmailing the country or something. It’s asinine. Especially given the fact that Donald Trump and THAT SAME MAGA CREW are actively provoking and inciting violence, terrorism and chaos. They’re actively mythologizing a 17-year-old terrorist just because he’s white. Anyway, Biden is Biden and he’s right – “Do I look like a radical socialist with a soft spot for rioters? Really? I want a safe America.” Can Trump say the same?
Photos courtesy of Avalon Red.
his speech was great, and provided a real contrast to Trump saying that his supporters shooting paintballs at protesters was a peaceful protest because paint is not bullets. I really fucking hate that dude.
In 2004, the Boston Police Department used pepper spray to quell a crowd that was trying to climb the wall at Fenway Park after the Red Sox won the ALCS pennant against the Yankees. A stray pellet hit student Victoria Snellgrove in the eye, shattering the bones behind into 9 pieces, which lodged in her brain. She died 12 hours later. This was an ACCIDENT with the pellet gun in the hands of a trained law enforcement officer. These Trump scum are deliberately aiming these pellets at people’s heads. They are trying to kill people
@ Lightpurple, yes they are! There was a conversation on CBS a Sunday Morning that spoke with a man about the actions of PO’s using bean bag and pellets in Miami and that these actions of PO’s are dangerous and sometimes lethal. He also stated that there is not enough training for PO’s in regards to using the bean bag pellets or any other type on non lethal use of force, and it’s a dangerous outcome. One woman was interviewed and there was video that she was standing on the corner doing nothing. She was shot directly into her head with the pellet and started bleeding profusely. There was another woman that they interviewed that was a reporter that they shot in the head that caused permanent eye loss in a majority of her left eye and had been hospitalized for weeks due to the broken bones in her head. She was clearly also wearing a PRESS jacket and she was still shot. The fact that we have PO’s using so called safe tactics is an oxymoron. These tools are dangerous and they can cause irreparable damage and can kill people also.
This is Drumpf America. The fact that a bunch of his supporters rounded up on FB to travel to Portland over the weekend with over 600 trucks/vehicles that attacked peaceful protesters with paint ball guns, bear mace and other means of personal injury, proves that his supporters have heard the message from Drumpf that he is the law and order and encourages these incidents. Including NOT condoning that coward from Illinois that shot 3 people and killed two as he walked past a convoy of PO’s and they gave him a bottle of water. Had he been a POC, he would have been shot dead where he stood! Drumpf is responsible for the destruction, beatings and national divide in this country. This is Drumpfs America, and yes, if he is re-elected, it will only be a continuation of the same, but more violence and less condemnation from Drumpf!
Trump is finished and can only win by cheating.
Active military voters are polling 60% for Biden. Last time military voted for a democrat was almost 50 years ago.
Only months after Trump took office, somebody tweeted about him “If he senses he will have to make a sacrifice, he will sacrifice the world instead”. And it struck me so forcefully, that I put it on my facebook. I knew it to be true. And that’s what we are seeing now. He is inciting a civil war in order to stay in power. Blood is in the streets, and he wants a lot more of it. His supporters are riding around in tricked out trucks brandishing automatic weapons like the Taliban. I have always called them the American Taliban and now this has come to pass in a way more real than I would have thought during the aughts. How many more will die? Too many, but for him, never enough.
Intrigued, I found the article you were quoting. Interesting stuff. The author (Sarah Kendzior) talks about Trump’s key to personal success: the sacrifice of others. He told FOX in 2014: ” You know what solves it? When the economy crashes, when the country goes to total hell and everything is a disaster. Then you’ll have, you know, you’ll have riots to go back to where we used to be when we were great.”
I’ll end my rant by referring to Maya Angelou: he showed us who he is, long before he ran. Why didn’t we believe him?
Most of us did! I didn’t know what a horrible criminal he was until after he was elected (something I had NOTHING to do with; I voted for Hillary with a great deal of excitement), but I knew he was trash.
I think a lot of his supporters know he’s trash, too, but they’re such broken people that they’ll throw the country and us away to “own” us.
Also I fear he and Barr will begin imprisoning BLM leaders or so-called leaders (basically any black person they can get their hands on), very soon. That is when we will truly be a banana republic. If he retains power somehow, then he will begin locking up all dissenters, and also journalists and political opponents. Some of them will be assassinated. We’re headed there fast and many white Americans are loving it. Don’t believe it when someone says they need to wake up; they’re awake and they’re loving it. They always wanted to murder racial minorities, feminists,and liberals. They are loving it. This is who the majority of white America is. It’s something isn’t it? When you wake up to THAT little fact, you know you have to get out, but now we’re trapped here because of the virus that is out of control in America.
Make America Great Again indeed. It’s SO great now, that you can never leave.
He wants to be Putin and he wants the US to be Russia. A place where he can poison or jail his rivals. A place where he can become an actual billionaire by exploiting natural resources to line his own pockets. It’s happening right before our eyes. Remember all that Cold War bs? They are winning and we aren’t even putting up a fight.
I sure agree that some of them are awake and loving it, but I think a great many more (and I’m thinking of some of the people to whom I’m related) are not. They don’t understand what he’s doing, they don’t understand their own racial biases, they don’t get it.
If you know a way to crack that nut, LMK, because it’s driving me bonkers.
Excellent comment, Darla. Anybody thats not completely terrified at this point, should be. I would bet my next paycheck that I’m already on a dissidents list somewhere.
As a BW I don’t feel safe at all.
I’m honestly terrified. I’m trying to stay off social media and I haven’t watched the news in years. I’m so thankful to be working from home because I really don’t want to be around anyone right now.
The only way he strategy he has is to stoke racial unrest and violence because he has nothing else.
I wish reporters would go around and ask Trumpers how safe they feel in Trump’s America vs. how safe they felt in Obama’s America and then just point out the absurdity of their inevitably dishonest answer.
Talking about fear and ruination of suburbs distracts from the economic and health crises we are experiencing.
By constantly covering “law and order”, media ends up mostly ignoring food lines, people unable to pay rent, and the ongoing illnesses and deaths that are impacting every corner of the country.
Joe has to keep flipping the script. Who is in charge right now and how do you feel about that leadership? Point out what else might be going on behind the scenes that would definitely be life altering for millions – gutting social security, healthcare/pre-existing conditions protections, etc.?
I remember when the “law and order” president told his followers to punch anyone protesting at his rallies to “punch him in the mouth… I’ll pay your fine” … and this encouraging his followers to fight anyone protesting at his rallies. Now 45 is running under the “law and order banner”. Funny it appears law and order only work for anyone not loving him, but if they like him they can come from another state drive across state lines and kill two people, it’s ok because he was attacked him. So now “law and order” does not apply.
I’m over these Trump supporters and their “Biden has dementia” crap. I just cut ties with an old friend who was telling me that Biden shows all these signs of dementia. OK, I’m a psychiatrist. I pretty much know the signs of dementia and it ain’t Biden showing them. Just sayin.
I find it fascinating that a friend of yours *IRL* would argue with you, a psychiatrist. I know that dementia isn’t your specialty the same way as it is for a neurologist or a gerontologist, but I just can’t imagine the hubris to be like, “no, I know paranormalgirl. I know.”
Gah.
This was such a good speech, so well-written. Random internet commentators can point out all day that all Donald’s images of “Joe Biden’s America” are actually images from HIS OWN administration, but it was so good to see Joe Biden officially call it out himself.
I am hoping that people get out and vote! I remember being so happy and excited to watch Hillary win… I thought people would see through Trump in the end. I stopped and bought cupcakes after work for us to eat while we celebrated. I will never forget the sick feeling I had sitting on the couch when I realized she wasn’t going to win at all. I’m so worried it’s going to happen again.
I had that sickening realization on my couch as well. It seemed unbelievable then – and now. She did get more votes, despite years of a smear campaign against her.
Hopefully people will vote, and realize the worst they have thrown at Joe (other than making fun of his stuttering) involves his only living son holding an overseas board position. Compare that to several adult children and their SOs soaking up taxpayer and campaign dollars for nearly four years. No comparison.
The complete ABSURDITY that suddenly Biden is a SOCIALIST?? HAHAHAHAHAA
Vote blue for f*ck’s sake. I’m so tired.
Ah, It kills me when people paint socialism with a broad brush that makes it seem evil. I love to say “let me tell you about police, public schools, the roads you drive on. If you are anti-socialism, then you are actually FOR defunding the police” and watch their brains stutter to a halt. Its fun.
I saw someone comment yesterday to the effect of, “America is in a civil war, but we’re not ready to call it that yet.”
It’s kind of a cold civil war, for the most part. A cold false civil war in that the violence against Black people is real, but the violence against White people is imagined.