Sequoit to Sequoit: 2020 Election

Staffers Lena DeVore and Julia Gallway go head-to-head on their pick for the 2020 election.

Julia Galway

More stories from Julia Galway

Lena De Vore

More stories from Lena De Vore

The main political parties fighting for the seat in the White House are the Democrats and Republicans.

Julia Hackeloer

The main political parties fighting for the seat in the White House are the Democrats and Republicans.

Biden

Having been involved in politics since witnessing the 2016 election in middle school, I have always made an effort to educate myself on America’s state and what I believe we could do better. When you look at places, such as Nordic countries, with universal basic healthcare systems, COVID-19 responses and improvements on women’s reproductive rights, many in the United States believe that is unattainable for us here. However, Democratic candidates such as Joe Biden paved the way to make it ever-so-clear as to why it is a practical and correct step for a better American society. Though I will not be able to vote in the 2020 Election, I believe that Biden and Harris are a better fit to accommodate U.S. citizens from their support in crucial policies. 

 

The United States is the wealthiest country in the world. However, according to the United States Census, 8.5% of Americans do not have health insurance. In my opinion, it does not make sense why we deny our citizens the right to receive important medical care based on their economic class. When the Obama/Biden administration passed the Affordable Care Act, the number of Americans without health insurance dropped from a whopping 44 million to 27 million. Still, under the Trump/Pence Administration, the number did not decrease whatsoever, in fact, it increased by roughly 1.4 million. By protecting the Affordable Care Act and expanding it by reducing healthcare costs, Biden’s healthcare plan appeals most to me and accommodates most Americans. Healthcare aside, the plethora of issues that come along with Trump serving another four years is terrifying. 

 

Ensuing after the COVID-19 pandemic, Trump’s mismanagement of the coronavirus is debilitating to the U.S. economy and households. With 8.7 million cases and 225,000 deaths caused by this pandemic, it is important to compare cases in the United States with other countries similar in population. Take Indonesia as an example; they have had merely 13,300 deaths from this pandemic, according to the Worldometer COVID-19 Case Census. Russia, another country similar in size to the United States, has had roughly 26,000 deaths attributed to COVID-19. While other countries are moving past this pandemic, the United States is still struggling to surpass this moment. Due to Trump’s mismanagement of this pandemic, our country hit the largest recession we have witnessed since the Great Depression, and at least 225,000 American families are never going to be the same.

 

Joe Biden and Kamala Harris’s plans for COVID-19 would be effective. Rather than jumping to reopen the economy, the two outlined specific ways to help get this virus under control. According to Joe Biden’s website, he promises guaranteed Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) for healthcare workers, certified government-paid sick leave for those who contract COVID-19 and will attempt to improve contact tracing– an important step in controlling a virus. 

 

I believe there are apparent differences in Trump and Biden’s candidacies and work in politics that should push people to vote for Biden. As a woman, I am avidly pro-choice in regard to abortion and birth control. I believe it only helps improve a mother’s life by giving her a choice whether to be a parent when she may not be financially, emotionally or physically prepared. Biden and Harris have been widely outspoken in their support for this topic. Simultaneously, Trump and Pence are relentless in speaking out against abortion and women’s reproductive rights when it is simply not in womens’ best interests. Joe Biden and Kamala Harris’ plans to improve healthcare for all, women’s reproductive rights, and controlling the COVID-19 pandemic are significant and critical reasons I support their campaign over Donald Trump and Mike Pence.

Trump

Having grown up in a military family, my political views have always aligned with the Republican party. However, I have taken time to research different issues to build my own political opinions, rather than just siding entirely with my parents’ views. Having done the research, I realized where I stand on the economy, military, abortion, healthcare and immigration. 

 

Historically, the party has always supported the need for a strong national military. Donald Trump also takes a strong position toward this topic. He believes that the government should give the military a large portion of funds. He has honored this promise the past four years in office by increasing funds to U.S. military spending. 

 

Along with the military protecting our nation, a current controversial issue regards the importance of the police force protecting our communities. It terrifies me to know that some want to get rid of police officers because of a small group of cops who have made very poor decisions. According to the BBC, if Biden is elected president, one of the issues he has spoken strongly about is changing the police force’s policies.

 

As a Republican, I strongly believe that it is important that the nation has a secure economic system. I feel that if someone is capable and has the ability to work, he or she should. The amount of pay someone receives should match the amount of work he/she does. Having a president that is successful in business is beneficial for the improvement of our economy. Knowing that Trump is a successful businessman, I feel that it makes him the best candidate for this issue, unlike Biden. According to the BBC, since the Obama/Biden administration was in office, the unemployment rate has continued to decrease exponentially, excluding the spike from the beginning of the Coronavirus. 

 

In terms of The Affordable Care Act, otherwise known as Obamacare, I feel that the care provided is inadequate. My uncle has Obamacare and is experiencing kidney failure. It has a possible cancerous spot on his lung, and both of his major arteries are carotid. Yet, his conditions are considered “not dangerous enough” for surgery at the moment. In this case, I am voting for Trump in hopes that he will come up with his own healthcare system in his next term. If Biden is elected, he will only continue to build on and protect Obamacare. 

 

According to The White House, the Trump/Pence Administration has built a stronger economy, created more jobs for all citizens, increased employment rates, increased the median income and increased protection of our borders in the past four years. Due to all of these accomplishments and what Trump promises to do if re-elected, I am voting for Trump. I truly believe that if Biden is elected as president, the United States will be in an even bigger mess, and everything Trump has done to benefit the Biden/Harris Administration will alter our country.