Instead of having to defend himself against a tsunami of attack ads about his diminishing mental capacity, Biden could bombard the airwaves with a set of arguments that could respond to Trump’s lies while reminding voters that the reason they elected him in 2020 was because they knew America can only remain great if it is led by a unifier, not an avenger.
An ad could begin with one of Trump’s most outrageous lies, told during last Thursday’s debate, about how the U.S. economy has been a disaster since Biden took office. To which Biden could respond:
You know, Donald, I read that you had to pay $88.3 million in damages for sexual abuse and defamation E. Jean Carroll: I just did some rough math: If you had put $88.3 million into an S&P index fund on the day I was inaugurated, that would have been about 40 percent at present. That’s about $35 million, Donald. What a disaster! Think of the legal fees you could pay!
Another ad could quote Trump’s remarks about how he could work with Russian President Vladimir Putin in ways Biden never could. To which Biden could respond:
Donald, do you know why, if Putin could vote in our election, he would vote for you? It’s because he knows one thing about you: You could never put together the kind of alliance that I put together to drive him out of Ukraine and contain China. You would throw those alliances out the window because you can only think of transactional relationships. A lasting alliance, Donald, like a lasting marriage, This is not a transactional relationship. It is cemented by shared values. You treat our allies like they are all shoe stores in a lobby of Trump Tower that simply don’t pay enough rent. Well, not only did you lie about how much our allies contribute to Ukraine — massive quantities — you also have no idea how much they amplify American power and values.
This kind of rebuttal to Trump would be the best parting gift Biden could give to his party and all Americans.
Gautam Mukunda, presidential expert and author of “Choosing the presidents,“pointed out to me the other day that in 1783, when George Washington announced that he would relinquish his commission, King George III of England—the man whose empire he destroyed— said “If he did that, he would be the greatest man in the world.” Fourteen years later, Washington has done it again, voluntarily stepping down as president when he could easily have proclaimed himself president for life. The father of our country sealed his greatness by showing that sometimes the best thing a president can do for his country is to give up the presidency. Now, facing the greatest threat to our democracy since the Civil War, Joe Biden can cement his legacy by following Washington’s example.
Biden, in addition to being a good man, has been a truly defining president. He deserves to be recognized as the leader who saved the country from Trump in 2020, led us out of the dark days of the Covid pandemic, passed critical legislation to rebuild America’s infrastructure, restored dignity to work, advanced the transition to a green economy—and, ultimately, knew when and how to say goodbye.
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