Can you get behind Biden's political positions?

[swing_voter]

What are Joe Biden's political positions?

• On healthcare:
• Biden was vice president during the crucial negotiations that produced the Affordable Care Act, otherwise known as Obamacare.
• Biden supports a healthcare plan that would build upon the ACA, including an expansion of the public option.
• The plan would also not allow pharmaceutical corporations to avoid negotiating with Medicare over drug prices.
• Consumers would be allowed to import drugs from other countries, which the Biden campaign says would promote fairness.
• He opposes Medicare for All, a proposal that would make the government the main health insurance provider for Americans. Its made him a frequent target from left-wing candidates like Bernie Sanders.
• During the July Democratic debate in Detroit, Biden contended Medicare for All would be too expensive and reiterated his call for building on Obamacare by providing a public option.
• He doubled down on his more healthcare moderate approach in the September Democratic debate and criticized Medicare for All being pushed by rivals such as Sen. Elizabeth Warren. "I think we should have a debate on health care. I think — I know that [Senator Warren] says she's for Bernie, well, I'm for Barack. I think it worked," Biden said.
• On immigration:
• Biden voted for the Secure Fence Act of 2006, which built additional walls and barriers along the US-Mexico border.
• In January 2019, Biden said "We need border security but that's not the border security we need" in reference to the wall Trump demanded lawmakers give him the funds for to end the partial government shutdown.
• Biden was also vice president when former President Obama created the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, which granted temporary legal status to undocumented immigrants taken to the United States as minors.
• Biden has rejected giving drivers' licenses to undocumented immigrants as recently as 2007.
• Biden defended the Obama administration's record on deportations when confronted about it during the September Democratic debate. "The president did the best thing that was able to be done," Biden said.
• On climate change:
• Biden supported the Paris climate accords, which the Trump administration abandoned in 2017. Biden has called the Paris accords "the best way to protect our children & global leadership."
• Unlike many of the far-left Democratic candidates, Biden has not endorsed the Green New Deal, which would usher in radical transformations of the US economy to reduce human impact on global climate change.
• Biden released a host of new climate change proposals, but came under criticism for having copied several passages from outside sources without attribution.
• Biden had an awkward moment during a CNN town hall in September when he was asked how he could be depended on to take on fossil fuel companies despite plans to attend a fundraiser hosted by the co-founder of a liquefied natural gas production company.
• "I was told by my staff he doesn't have any responsibility related to the company," Biden said in response to the question during the town hall. "If that turns out not to be true, then I will not, in any way, accept his help."
• On campaign finance:
• Biden has taken credit for advising Bernie Sanders not to accept donations from corporate PACs, but has not made any pledges himself for the 2020 race.
• He wrote in an op-ed for Politico magazine about the dangers of dark money groups from foreign donors into super PACs.
• "Campaign finance reform is certainly a necessary part of the solution, but so too is disclosure of beneficial ownership and greater transparency in real estate transactions," he wrote. "As matters of national security, these are issues that should be of interest to both Democrats and Republicans who want to reduce our vulnerability to foreign corrupt influence."
  
  

More issues here:

Who is Joe Biden? Bio, age, family, and key positions - Business Insider

It's like 90% of what Bernie wanted to do.

 

[swing_voter]

• On education:
• Biden supports free college educations, marking a total of 16 years on the taxpayer dime.
• He has also been a supporter of universal kindergarten and pre-K.
• Biden in October unveiled a $750 billion plan that would make two years of community college tuition-free.
• On guns:
• Biden wants universal background checks, including on secondary, peer-to-peer sales.
• In 2012, he was appointed to head the Gun Violence Task Force in the wake of the Sandy Hook attack. The group put forth new regulations on magazine size limits, stricter penalties for trafficking firearms, and new tools to prosecute gun-related crimes. These proposed reforms failed to become law.
• Biden has said as recently as 2017 that rifles like the AR-15 should be "taken off the streets" but has not gone into specifics about what that would look like, whether in the form of bans on future sales or through confiscatory programs like mandatory buybacks.

 

[swing_voter]

• On trade:
• Biden voted for the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), which Trump has repeatedly excoriated and threatened to unilaterally withdraw from.
• He supported the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) and urged lawmakers to pass it during Obama's final months in office.
• Biden is typically a supporter of free trade, bucking calls for protectionist policies like heavy tariffs on various industries.
• On foreign policy:
• Biden was an ardent support of the Obama administration's nuclear deal with Iran and key allies aiming to limit their nuclear proliferation program and has lambasted Trump for withdrawing from it.
• He has rejected inviting Russia back into the Group of Seven, saying that it "makes no sense."
• Biden supported the Obama administration's drone strike programs in Syria.
• He said he argued against military intervention in Libya in 2011, saying that it could become a "petri dish for the growth of extremism."
• Biden voted to authorize the Iraq War, but has since spoken out against the decision.
• At the July Democratic presidential debate in Detroit, Biden said of his vote in favor of the Iraq War: "I did make a bad judgment."
• On taxes:
• Biden wants higher taxes on wealthy Americans' in key areas like passive income.
• He has also argued for boosting tax relief for middle class families, including expansions of the Child Tax Credit.

 

[swing_voter]

And Biden has the support of the democratic party, he might get a few things made into law.

 

[MrPeanut]

I don't support his policies but I will vote for him if he wins the nomination.

 

[bluesmoke]

I would prefer, in terms of representing me, just about anybody else who ran as Dems for the nomination. Some of his history:

Biden eviscerated the women testifying before HIS committee on the Clarence Thomas/Anita Hill hearing. He was just plain mean. You should have seen it.

He voted for legislation favoring banks that took away a specific legal bankruptcy right for the avg American.

He voted for legislation to imprison more people for drugs when all the evidence we have today was there then to know what a mass incarceration plan it was.

He voted for the Iraq war, admitting he used "bad judgement" for trusting Bush believing that “trusting the president saying he was only doing this to get inspectors in and get the U.N. to agree to put inspectors in.” Yet, he did say once the war broke out that “We voted to give him the authority to wage that war. We should step back and be supportive.” What a load.

Yet, Biden is immensely more preferable than the immensely flawed Trump.

 

[ecofarm]

This election is about principles not politics.

 

[JasperL]

It's like 90% of what Bernie wanted to do.

yeah, but that 10% includes healthcare, only 20% or so of GDP....

But you don't have to convince me or other moderates. I'm a lot more worried about Senate and House races than POTUS, Bernie or not. I voted against Bernie because IMO him at the top threatens those critical down ballot races in key states. But, say, on MFA, President doesn't matter much - what matters is under current rules what 60 U.S. Senators will support and it ain't IMO MFA, which might have 20-30 of actual Senators in support.

 

[Ikari]

I'll be voting Libertarian.

 

[Praxas]

I'll be voting Libertarian.

So in the end, instead of choosing to have a **** sandwich or a douche, you will just let someone else decide for you what you get. Because it's not like you're NOT going to get one of those two.

 

[Ikari]

So in the end, instead of choosing to have a **** sandwich or a douche, you will just let someone else decide for you what you get. Because it's not like you're NOT going to get one of those two.

Meh. If y'all would get out of this "I have to vote for the lesser of two evils" false dichotomy, we may end up getting somewhere. But the only way to stop supporting the false dichotomy is to stop supporting it. So I will vote Libertarian because in the end I don't think that a **** sandwich or a giant douche is a proper choice. Even if the rest of y'all will buy into the lie.

 

[Captain Adverse]

Can you get behind Biden's political positions?

No. :no:

THE BIDEN PLAN TO END OUR GUN VIOLENCE EPIDEMIC

Joe Biden's Plan to End Gun Violence | Joe Biden for President

I will never vote for anyone opposed to the individual's right to keep and bear arms; especially the type of arms a citizen can use effectively if/when necessary to oppose a tyrannical government.

 

[trixare4kids]

So in the end, instead of choosing to have a **** sandwich or a douche, you will just let someone else decide for you what you get. Because it's not like you're NOT going to get one of those two.

Unless one is voting libertarian or green out of protest, it's a wasted vote.
I can see why one would be fed up enough to do it. I did so in the 2008 election.

 

[d0gbreath]

I just want to see decency and honesty restored to the white house.

 

[d0gbreath]

Can you get behind Biden's political positions?

No. :no:

Joe Biden's Plan to End Gun Violence | Joe Biden for President

I will never vote for anyone opposed to the individual's right to keep and bear arms; especially the type of arms a citizen can use effectively if/when necessary to oppose a tyrannical government.

"Buy back the assault weapons and high-capacity magazines already in our communities. Biden will also institute a program to buy back weapons of war currently on our streets. This will give individuals who now possess assault weapons or high-capacity magazines two options: sell the weapons to the government, or register them under the National Firearms Act."

I don't have a problem registering my AR. My 45 is registered.

 

[Surrealistik]

It's like 90% of what Bernie wanted to do.

Your attempt to reconcile after doing literally nothing but slamming Sanders and his supporters for at least months on end is both noted and rejected.

Also Biden differs substantively on things that matter greatly, such as healthcare, and is a senile half-wit who if, god forbid, gets the nomination, will lose to Trump barring some coronavirus actuated disaster.

 

[Gaius46]

I don’t support him or many of his policies but I will vote for him over Trump. He is very much the lesser of two evils.

 

[GDViking]

"Buy back the assault weapons and high-capacity magazines already in our communities. Biden will also institute a program to buy back weapons of war currently on our streets. This will give individuals who now possess assault weapons or high-capacity magazines two options: sell the weapons to the government, or register them under the National Firearms Act."

I don't have a problem registering my AR. My 45 is registered.

He will never get that passed, that is like trumps promise to make Mexico pay for the wall.

Only fools fall for it, there are far too many moderate Democrats that would lose their seats in a heartbeat if they backed that...

 

[d0gbreath]

He will never get that passed, that is like trumps promise to make Mexico pay for the wall.

Only fools fall for it, there are far too many moderate Democrats that would lose their seats in a heartbeat if they backed that...

Democrats aren't the gun grabbers that they're made out to be by the GOP.

 

[captaintrips]

If it wasn't very clear that Joe is suffering an age issue, senility, mild-dementia whatever - I think he'd be a serious candidate for the current president to worry about.

Joe IS, so Trump doesn't have a lot to worry about.

It really is too bad what's happening to Joe, but it happens to many people when they reach certain ages.

It's sad & embarrassing what we see going on.

While deranged idiots write nonsense and hate for the current president, we aren't seeing what's happening right in front of our faces. It's sad & embarrassing.

Grow up America

 

[Bum]

Can you get behind Biden's political positions?

Nope.

 

[Gaius46]

If it wasn't very clear that Joe is suffering an age issue, senility, mild-dementia whatever - I think he'd be a serious candidate for the current president to worry about.

Joe IS, so Trump doesn't have a lot to worry about.

It really is too bad what's happening to Joe, but it happens to many people when they reach certain ages.

It's sad & embarrassing what we see going on.

While deranged idiots write nonsense and hate for the current president, we aren't seeing what's happening right in front of our faces. It's sad & embarrassing.

Grow up America

What makes you say that? I’ve seen no indication that he has dementia. He puts his foot in his mouth to be sure but he ain’t the only one.

 

[haymarket]

I'll be voting Libertarian.

Ikari ... I have developed a respect for your posts over the last year. And I do not want to blast you with scattershot by my usual blasts at libertarians. But the only way you voting for the Libertarian makes sense is IF last time you were a Trump voter and are now deserting him. A libertarian who last time around voted Libertarian does and will do it again nothing to hurt Trump.

 

[Ikari]

Ikari ... I have developed a respect for your posts over the last year. And I do not want to blast you with scattershot by my usual blasts at libertarians. But the only way you voting for the Libertarian makes sense is IF last time you were a Trump voter and are now deserting him. A libertarian who last time around voted Libertarian does and will do it again nothing to hurt Trump.

I voted for Gary Johnson last time. I refuse to vote for Trump, but it's not so much about "hurt", it's about the exercise of my vote to invest my bit of sovereignty into the government and thus give my consent to the legitimacy of government.

I don't invest my sovereignty in candidates to hurt other candidates. I invest my sovereignty into candidates I believe are the best for the job out of the entire field of candidates and who best echoes my own personal political philosophy.

 

[GDViking]

Democrats aren't the gun grabbers that they're made out to be by the GOP.

Exactly, outdoorsman/hunters are environmentalists, Republicans ignore that fact to their own peril...