Joe Biden is in trouble. Biden trails his likely opponent, former President Donald Trump, in five out of six key swing states according to a recent New York Times/Siena Poll. Moreover, three quarters of young voters ages 18-29, a key demographic for Biden, disapprove of his handling of the conflict in Gaza. This is in-line with a much broader trend of young progressives becoming disillusioned with the Biden presidency. But, while young liberals may make many reasonable criticisms of Biden’s actions, it is essential they cast their ballot for him in the upcoming election. Not only has Biden achieved numerous progressive accomplishments throughout his presidency, but he is the only person standing in the way of another disastrous Trump presidency.
Progress is slow, and it’s important to recognize that no administration is perfect. But young voters who are questioning the Biden administration need to understand that progress certainly has been made on climate, gun reform and on the economy.
Biden’s “Inflation Reduction Act” is the single largest investment into clean energy and jobs in American history. His bipartisan “Safer Communities Act” is the biggest piece of gun controlling legislation in thirty years. Economically, the pandemic brought our nation to a standstill. But the record high inflation and gas prices that marred the second year of Biden’s presidency have fallen and a recession never came. Now, unemployment is at 3.5%, an all time low, 750,000 new manufacturing jobs have been created and over 40,000,000 people have benefited from Biden’s student debt relief programs.
Biden has worked towards the change that young liberals want to see. While a lot of what’s been done isn’t very sexy, it’s laid the groundwork for more progressive change.
Donald Trump is the likely nominee for the Republican Party. He has handily won both the Iowa and New Hampshire primaries – and there’s no indication that his winning streak will end anytime soon. If Trump successfully challenges Biden and is elected president, beyond reversing all progressive progress made, he will threaten our democracy and our nation as a whole.
When filing to appear on the Illinois ballot, Trump didn’t sign the oath swearing to not “advocate the overthrow of the government.” Strange, huh? Of course. As Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker put it, “Pledging not to overthrow our democracy is a hard thing to do when you’ve already attempted it once.” Pritzker was referring to the events of January 6, 2021 when President Trump incited a riot in the U.S. Capitol while protesting the results of an election he unequivocally lost. Now, as a result of that day, among many other instances, Trump is facing a slew of felony charges. He is unsurprisingly the first former President to ever be indicted. Will Trump’s next presidency be a dictatorship? I’m not sure, but let’s not tempt fate.
As young people discuss simply sitting out of the election or voting for a third party candidate, they need to be reminded that abstention is effectively a vote for Trump. How can young liberals fail to distinguish between Biden, a moderate liberal who has managed to make real progressive change, and Trump, a far-right demagogue who incited an attack on the Capitol? The choice in the upcoming election extends beyond political ideologies — it’s about safeguarding the democratic principles upon which the nation stands. In this critical moment, supporting Biden becomes not just a matter of political preference, but a crucial defense against the looming threat of a second Trump presidency.