One guy is capable, ethical, but a lousy orator; the other is a corrupt, dishonest felon, but makes good TV
There is still only one choice for the good of the nation
Everyone today is talking about what a poor showing Biden had in last night's debate.
Joe Biden is a decent person, empathetic and smart, who surrounds himself with capable people of integrity to address the challenges of the country. He has had a long list of accomplishments, including shepherding the country's economic recovery after the pandemic, which the United States did much more effectively than nearly all other developed countries.
Biden has always been, however, a crap orator, and this failing has only become worse over the years. It doesn't lessen his impact as a government leader, but it ruins his impact on television, especially in a debate.
Donald Trump, on the other hand, is aggressive and bellicose on television, and lies constantly by saying things he knows perfectly well aren't true but that his core followers - themselves generally unable to discern the difference between fact and opinion - want to hear. This could be seen as a positive by those eager to promote reactionary policies and who use Trump as a Trojan horse for their goals, which include the elimination of Black history from schools, the elimination of a woman's right to reproductive health and family planning, and the support of the imperial ambitions of Putin's Russia.
Trump has always been, however, corrupt, morally and ethically bankrupt, narcissistic, authoritarian; he attempted to illegally overturn an election; and is now a convicted felon.
It would be great to have a Republican candidate to discuss seriously. The country needs diverse views on the problems and opportunities in front of us. In fact, it would be great if we had two entirely different candidates offering clearly articulated policy proposals and vision for the future. But not this year. So we are left with one unquestionable conclusion, which is that Trump is thoroughly unfit for national office. Voting for him is shameful.
Here's a partial list of things to keep in mind about him:
He pardoned war criminals, Blackwater contractors guilty of the massacre of Iraqi civilians.
He vetoed the bipartisan National Defense Authorization Act, killing over $740 billion in defense spending and a pay increase for troops.
His refusal to support masks during the pandemic and his discouragement of testing directly caused the deaths of thousands of people who followed his advice.
He actively attempted to overturn a legal and fair national election in order to seize power, including pressuring state election officials, openly considering the imposition of martial law, and inciting in Washington D.C.
He peddles racism, misogyny, and xenophobia and encourages his followers to do the same, including embracing self-proclaimed neo-Nazis and white nationalists.
He has openly mocked the disabled.
He has openly mocked war heroes.
He has consistently undermined the justice department and the intelligence agencies, causing his followers to lose trust in the institutions that keep them safe.
He withheld $400 million in aid to Ukraine in an attempt to extort the country to announce a baseless investigation into the Bidens.
After an effective bi-partisan measure was developed to take a massive step forward in solving the southern border problem, Trump coerced Republicans in congress to kill it so Biden wouldn't get credit.
He demanded that government personnel pledge loyalty to him rather than to the United States and the constitution, and attempted to enforce this through NDAs.
He actively profited from the presidency in a number of ways, including forcing Secret Service agents to stay at Trump properties while traveling, and billing the government for inflated fees.
He intentionally stole thousands of classified documents, lied about, then refused to return them under threat of subpoena.
Ordered peaceful protestors tear-gassed so he could pose for a photo-op with a Bible in front of a church.
He willfully gave away top-secret information to a Russian foreign minister in the Oval Office, almost certainly resulting in the collapse of intelligence networks and the arrest of personnel.
Started a foolish trade war that set American business competitiveness back years.
Lied about nearly everything he talked about, starting on day one when he lied about the size of the inauguration crowd.
He passed huge tax breaks for the wealthiest and for corporations, while raising taxes on the rest, and massively increased the national debt.
He was found guilty of 34 felonies related to campaign finance fraud.
He and his companies were found guilty of finance fraud.
He was found liable for defamation and sexual assault.
He and his companies have been found guilty of 17 felonies of tax evasion.
He babbles incoherently, and almost certainly has dementia to some degree.
Good god, a second Trump term would be a horror show.