Joe Biden could not be more different than his opponent. At first glance, this might seem to be a disadvantage. The incumbent is fiery and unapologetic. The man who would like to unseat him is more of a nonthreatening, elderly uncle type. In the age of pandemic and protests, the power of the least intimidating candidate should not be overlooked.
According to the latest poll average at RealClearPolitics, Biden maintains a comfortable lead over President Trump. Whether this translates to an election night victory in less than four months remains to be seen. However, the fact that Biden has led in the polls for a while is not inconsequential. The majority of the year has been spent either nervously anticipating a national health crisis or dealing with one. Since that is our collective reality, it would appear that Biden’s softer approach to the coronavirus has helped him. The Republican Party and the Trump team should take note.
On Saturday, Trump wore a mask while visiting the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center. It was his first time wearing one publicly. Almost immediately, the usual suspects were condemning him for not doing so until then. Meanwhile, his supporters, many of whom had rejected wearing masks for months, were praising him for his actions.
Needless to say, filtering everything through a strict, partisan lens is not helpful. It is a good thing that the leader of our nation wore a mask, especially at a critical care facility. He should continue doing so when appropriate. But as we’ve seen, his opponent has worn a mask for a while. When a politician wears one, it is a small gesture that tells the media and, more importantly, a nationwide audience, “I care.”
This particular election year, with all its varied challenges, could not have been expected. Instead of business as usual, the country has been paused while companies, communities, local governments, and families deal with a health crisis. The “new normal” is nothing that any of us prefer for the long term. Candidates have been forced to change their plans in accordance with a world that has been upended. This automatically requires an extra dose of compassion from an otherwise selectively sympathetic commander in chief. Instead, the president has placed his focus elsewhere, to his detriment.
Trump spends much of his time speaking out against the obvious cultural upheaval. While there is nothing wrong with addressing the very serious issues stemming from mass, sometimes violent protests and absurd calls to defund the police, he must spare some of his energy for the ongoing pandemic-related concerns, too. Most of the time, it looks as if he only cares about pushing back against the cultural chaos. He can and should focus on both conflicts.
Whether it deals with mask-wearing, getting children back to school, or statements during combative press conferences, Trump often appears dismissive of a serious problem that continues to plague our nation. The pandemic is nearing 3.5 million cases and 137,000 deaths in the United States alone. The rising infection rates around the country after a period of decline are more than enough to prove that we are still in the thick of things.
To be sure, the Trump administration is addressing the pandemic but often not in the way it should for maximum, positive impact. Messaging from the president and his appointees would come across much better if it were tempered with more empathy. This is something Trump’s opponent, doddering as he may be, excels at doing. With more effort, the incumbent can do the same.
Kimberly Ross (@SouthernKeeks) is a contributor to the Washington Examiner’s Beltway Confidential blog and a columnist at Arc Digital.
