If I’ve watched nothing else during televised political conventions in past election cycles, I have tuned in to the acceptance speeches of the presidential candidates of the two opposing parties.
Perhaps it was naïve of me, but in the past I generally felt I could take what both candidates said at face value. Yes, there might be some exaggeration or some artful spin here and there. But I rarely felt that there were “alternate facts,” and I certainly never thought the two candidates came from alternate universes – until now.
When Joe Biden stepped onto the stage in a nearly empty Wilmington auditorium on the last night of the Democratic National Convention, he had a daunting task ahead of him. As the oldest candidate in history to seek the presidency, he could not be the faltering, out-of-touch old man his opponent had long painted him to be.
He needed to be strong, dynamic, and decisive. He needed to have command of facts and figures, and have concrete plans and policies at his fingertips. He could not mince words about the twin tragedies of the suffering brought on by the pandemic and the struggle brought on by longstanding racial injustice. He needed to address the climate crisis head on, and offer ways of creating jobs as we move away from fossil fuels. He needed to offer hope and a call to action that would be heard by even the most disenfranchised and disengaged voters. He needed to share a vision of what it would be like moving toward a more perfect union.
Did he succeed? History will be the judge, but his message was clear and consistent. He did not mince words about the threats posed by the pandemic, racial injustice, economic inequality, and climate change. He forcefully argued the case that the United States doesn’t exist in a vacuum, and that isolationism is a policy doomed to failure, while cozying up to dictators is no way to run a democracy. He offered an honest but hopeful vision of the future of our nation. In my opinion, at least, his downright decency, humility, and integrity shone through his speech, and were evident in how he framed each issue.
The current occupant of the White House, on the other hand, has offered an entirely different view of the country we live in, the problems we face, and their solutions.
To hear him speak, it is a country where the pandemic is behind us, thanks to him, and our economy is just weeks away from being the best the world has ever seen, also thanks to him. Our biggest threats are posed by immigrants at the border and rioting hoards in our cities. A big, beautiful wall at the border and armed troops in our cities are the way to address those. In his universe, inequality isn’t an issue, but if it is, only the wealthy and the well-connected deserve a place at the table. The United States is at the top of the world order, and our friends are our enemies, and our enemies are our friends. Climate change doesn’t exist; in fact, the sole reason our natural environment exists is for exploitation by us.
On the South Lawn of the White House last Thursday, a crowd of more than 1,500 gathered, mask optional, to cheer on this candidate. Their presence seemed like a tacit approval of his vision, and by extension, his methods.
This candidate is a master of exaggeration, distortion, prevarication, and downright lies. In his universe, cheating and backstabbing are necessary skills, and narcissism and bullying are virtues. The good people who gathered, presumably because they could buy into one or more of the issues he claims credit for, need to ask themselves about this.
Are they willing to vote for the entire universe of avarice, denial, and deceit this candidate brings with him? Let history be the judge.
(Millie LaFontaine of Concord is a retired neurologist.)