# What should be the main talking points of the 2020 Dem Pres candidate (presumably Biden)? **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Created:** [March 27, 2020, 12:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-should-be-the-main-talking-points-of-the-2020-dem-pres-candidate-presumably-biden/850380 "2020-03-27T00:27:24Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![RTFirefly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c77e96/32.png) [@RTFirefly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTFirefly)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2020, 4:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-should-be-the-main-talking-points-of-the-2020-dem-pres-candidate-presumably-biden/850380/21 "2020-03-27T16:00:23Z")
**ThelmaLou** , I need to reply to this. Then I’ll shut up, even though this is what I quite honestly think that this is what the Dems need to do about November. > [@Jonathan\_Chance](#): > > Because, against all efficacy, we impeached him a few months ago and it failed. I don’t get the significance of this. We knew it would fail then! We did it because impeaching him was the right thing to do. This is far more true this time than it was then. That’s a damned high bar to clear, but when your own President is a clear and present danger to the country, you don’t sit on your hands, even if you’ve already impeached him for something else. > [@](#): > > Regardless of anything else, doing it again now will only work against us in November. I don’t see how. I see how there would be (metaphorical) lynch mobs waiting for GOP Senators. > [@](#): > > AND it would fail again. Yes, it would. And people all over the country would be looking at their GOP Senators and saying, “my granny died because of YOU.” And having to restrain themselves from punching the Senators in the face. ---
**Author:** ![ThelmaLou](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thelmalou/32/390_2.png) [@ThelmaLou](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThelmaLou)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2020, 12:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-should-be-the-main-talking-points-of-the-2020-dem-pres-candidate-presumably-biden/850380/22 "2020-03-29T00:25:50Z")
From another thread > [@Why The Corona Virus Crisis Will Ensure Trump's Re-Election](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-the-corona-virus-crisis-will-ensure-trumps-re-election/850470/5): > > I feel much the same way about Herr Drumpf that the OP does and I’m not optimistic that he’ll be beaten in November, either, not least because the Democrats did their usual LOUSY job of coming up with a presidential candidate. Could “Gaffey Joe” win in November? Sure. I suppose anything’s possible. I mean, even the Mango Moron didn’t actually believe he’d win _last_ time. But am I expecting Gaffey Joe to win? **He’s a limp noodle with absolutely NO message to sell to the U.S. electorate** so - Nope. Not at all. Again, thanks, Democratic Party. . .for absolutely NUTHIN’. My bold. Okay, so what should his message BE? C’mon, peeps! ---
**Author:** ![septimus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/septimus/32/410_2.png) [@septimus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/septimus)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2020, 7:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-should-be-the-main-talking-points-of-the-2020-dem-pres-candidate-presumably-biden/850380/23 "2020-03-29T07:59:32Z")
> [@Jonathan\_Chance](#): > > Originally Posted by Shodan > … “I wouldn’t have cut funding for the CDC to fight global pandemics” might fly, providing nobody notices that funding for the CDC wasn’t cut… > > Regards, > Shodan > > You’ll pardon me if I don’t accept your advice on, well, anything when it comes to democratic politics and positive electioneering. Moreover, **Mr. Shodan** ’s claim that funding for CDC was not cut _ **is simply false.** _ Is there a way to find ALL opinions by fact-checking sites re: claims about CDC funding? **Mr. Shodan** has cherry-picked one claim. [Here’s another](https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/trump-fire-pandemic-team/): > [@](#): > > Amid warnings from public health officials that a 2020 outbreak of a new coronavirus could soon become a pandemic involving the U.S., alarmed readers asked Snopes to verify a rumor that U.S. President Donald Trump had “fired the entire pandemic response team two years ago and then didn’t replace them.” > … > TRUE. What has been the trend in CDC funding? “FY 2017 Budget request for CDC and the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) is $11.9 billion … The Fiscal Year (FY) 2018 Budget for CDC and the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) is $11.1 billion.” That’s already a large cut. Due to a reorganization FY 2019 and 2020 figures aren’t comparable; I’ll let a better Googler track that down. Please do NOT copy spin from the official CDC website: this is now controlled by lying lackeys of the autocrat. Here’s an excerpt (with my emphasis) from [http://thenationshealth.aphapublications.org](http://thenationshealth.aphapublications.org) that will give some idea of Trump Administration’s funding for public health: > [@](#): > > Trump released his fiscal year 2020 federal budget proposal in March [2019], recommending huge cuts across the federal government, including a 12 percent cut to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services **and a [further] 10 percent cut for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.** > > On programs that impact many social determinants of health, Trump’s budget proposes more huge reductions, including a $777 billion cut to Medicaid over 10 years, as well as nearly $600 billion in net Medicare spending reductions. According to the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, Trump’s 2020 budget would cut Social Security assistance for people with disabilities, cut billions from Temporary Assistance for Needy Families, raise the rent for low-income households receiving housing assistance, and cut the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program by $220 billion over the next decade. > > **Other public health-related agencies under the ax in the White House budget include a 31 percent reduction at the Environmental Protection Agency, an 18 percent cut for the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, and a 15 percent cut to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.** > > The budget proposes a $1 billion cut to the Health Resources and Services Administration, a $4.7 billion cut to the National Institutes of Health, including a nearly $900 million cut for the National Cancer Institute, and a cut of $65 million at the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. ---
**Author:** ![Superdude](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/superdude/32/13450_2.png) [@Superdude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Superdude)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2020, 9:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-should-be-the-main-talking-points-of-the-2020-dem-pres-candidate-presumably-biden/850380/24 "2020-03-29T09:10:23Z")
> [@RTFirefly](#): > > **ThelmaLou** , I need to reply to this. Then I’ll shut up, even though this is what I quite honestly think that this is what the Dems need to do about November. > > I don’t get the significance of this. We knew it would fail then! We did it because impeaching him was the right thing to do. > > This is far more true this time than it was then. That’s a damned high bar to clear, but when your own President is a clear and present danger to the country, you don’t sit on your hands, even if you’ve already impeached him for something else. I don’t see how. I see how there would be (metaphorical) lynch mobs waiting for GOP Senators. Yes, it would. And people all over the country would be looking at their GOP Senators and saying, “my granny died because of YOU.” And having to restrain themselves from punching the Senators in the face. It would fail again because the Republicans aren’t going to remove Trump as POTUS under ANY circumstances. They might be willing to censure him if he were to grab McConnell by the jowls and open spray fart into Mitch’s neckrolls. Maybe. And then Trump would be able to use that second failed impeachment attempt as even more fodder for his rants. Two impeachment attempts in the same year, both unsuccessful, would let him coast to reelection because he could spin it as “the Democrats are so inept that all they can do is try to remove me from office. They don’t care about the country. It’s personal. They couldn’t get me on the Russia hoax. They failed at impeaching me before. All they want is revenge because they were made to look like fools and have no ideas!” ---
**Author:** ![ThelmaLou](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thelmalou/32/390_2.png) [@ThelmaLou](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThelmaLou)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2020, 12:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-should-be-the-main-talking-points-of-the-2020-dem-pres-candidate-presumably-biden/850380/25 "2020-03-29T12:23:46Z")
Okay, now I’m getting irritated. :mad: Yes, trump needs to go. There are 452 ZILLION threads here that say that in multiple ways. Some of the first ones to say it were mine. Got it. NEW SUBJECT: Most (I agree, sadly, it’s not _all_) of us agree that a Democrat needs to win the White House in November (and the Senate and keep the House). I’ve heard on the board that Biden is lame, the Democrats are lame, and they have no clear message to the American people stating why a Democrat should be installed in the White House in 2021. Okay. What should Biden and the Dems be saying? How will a Democratic administration make any difference to the American public except for not having to read DJT’s tweets every day? What SPECIFICALLY should be the Democratic platform, talking points, issues, assurances (not promises - those don’t work)? What can/will a new administration DO to get the country back to normal, undo the damage of the trump years, and put us on a positive course for the future? Running on just being “not-trump” isn’t going to be enough. Or else just admit, \*“I don’t have any freakin’ idea, 'cause we’re down to our last roll of TP, so get out of my face about the election! I can’t even think about it while I’m in lockdown!” \* And then this thread can die a natural death until October… ---
**Author:** ![str8cashhomie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/7cd45c/32.png) [@str8cashhomie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/str8cashhomie)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2020, 1:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-should-be-the-main-talking-points-of-the-2020-dem-pres-candidate-presumably-biden/850380/26 "2020-03-29T13:58:41Z")
To be honest, I don’t know what the slogan should be, but I think the most important issue to emphasize is healthcare. I thought Buttigieg’s “Medicare for all who want it slogan” was pretty powerful, but obviously that’s more tailored to democratic primary voters - maybe it would work on GE voters but it might not have universal appeal. I also wonder if just saying “public option” as much as you can would work. Ideally you’d find something that means “public option” or “healthcare for all who want it” but is a little more vague so that people don’t get bogged down with policy specifics. ---
**Author:** ![ThelmaLou](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thelmalou/32/390_2.png) [@ThelmaLou](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThelmaLou)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2020, 2:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-should-be-the-main-talking-points-of-the-2020-dem-pres-candidate-presumably-biden/850380/27 "2020-03-29T14:05:58Z")
Thank you for that. 🙂 After this public health crisis, I’m sure medical coverage is on lots of people’s minds. ---
**Author:** ![Crane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crane/32/3495_2.png) [@Crane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crane)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2020, 3:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-should-be-the-main-talking-points-of-the-2020-dem-pres-candidate-presumably-biden/850380/28 "2020-03-29T15:31:31Z")
It’s like one of those situations they pose in management courses: “You’re hiking a mountain trail and you meet a giant, fierce, threatening bear. What do you do?” You eat the bear! and that’s what the Dems have to do - EAT THE FUCKING BEAR! The critical issue is all Trump/COV19 and that’s the message: Dems will restore the CDC, rebuild the health care infrastructure, restore and enlarge the Pandemic Response Team, vaccinate the entire population, increase the number of doctors and nurses in training, greatly expand the teaching of science in schools, restore the Constitutional structure of government - because - Trump was unable to understand the COV19 science and acted in ways that caused the pandemic to spread and become so severe - out of ignorance Trump fired the Pandemic Response Team - Trump defunded the CDC - Trump denied the existence of the threat - Trump delayed action - Trump is the icon of failed leadership. I agree that the Dems get nowhere whining about Trump, but the positive message has to be used to crush the Trump image. They have to Eat the Bear! ---
**Author:** ![ThelmaLou](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thelmalou/32/390_2.png) [@ThelmaLou](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThelmaLou)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2020, 5:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-should-be-the-main-talking-points-of-the-2020-dem-pres-candidate-presumably-biden/850380/29 "2020-03-29T17:36:24Z")
I like it. ---
**Author:** ![Shodan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9f8e36/32.png) [@Shodan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shodan)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2020, 8:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-should-be-the-main-talking-points-of-the-2020-dem-pres-candidate-presumably-biden/850380/30 "2020-03-29T20:47:45Z")
> [@septimus](#): > > Moreover, **Mr. Shodan** ’s claim that funding for CDC was not cut _ **is simply false.** _ Is there a way to find ALL opinions by fact-checking sites re: claims about CDC funding? **Mr. Shodan** has cherry-picked one claim. [Here’s another](https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/trump-fire-pandemic-team/): It is always entertaining to see people post cites that prove what they say is wrong, with such triumph. > [@](#): > > Due to a reorganization FY 2019 and 2020 figures aren’t comparable; I’ll let a better Googler track that down. Please do NOT copy spin from the official CDC website: this is now controlled by lying lackeys of the autocrat. And then out into the even more entertaining world of conspiracy theories. As I said, this kind of thing works with some people. Of course, those who rely on fake news for their world view are not confined to one side of the political aisle or the other. Regards, Shodan ---
**Author:** ![Jonathan\_Chance](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jonathan_chance/32/701_2.png) [@Jonathan\_Chance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jonathan_Chance)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2020, 11:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-should-be-the-main-talking-points-of-the-2020-dem-pres-candidate-presumably-biden/850380/31 "2020-03-29T23:55:34Z")
Stay on target, people. ---
**Author:** ![Larry\_Borgia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/larry_borgia/32/156_2.png) [@Larry\_Borgia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Larry_Borgia)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2020, 12:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-should-be-the-main-talking-points-of-the-2020-dem-pres-candidate-presumably-biden/850380/32 "2020-03-30T00:10:23Z")
What does Biden need to say? First he needs to outline everything the Trump administration has done wrong in dealing with this crisis. Then he needs to outline a clear plan for dealing with this pandemic and the next, which will come. He needs to look the camera in the eye and give a message that is clear direct and measured. I’m very proud of myself for typing all that with a straight face. ---
**Author:** ![Boycott](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/boycott/32/6741_2.png) [@Boycott](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boycott)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2020, 11:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-should-be-the-main-talking-points-of-the-2020-dem-pres-candidate-presumably-biden/850380/33 "2020-03-30T11:43:27Z")
> [@Larry\_Borgia](#): > > What does Biden need to say? First he needs to outline everything the Trump administration has done wrong in dealing with this crisis. Then he needs to outline a clear plan for dealing with this pandemic and the next, which will come. He needs to look the camera in the eye and give a message that is clear direct and measured. > > I’m very proud of myself for typing all that with a straight face. He’s been doing the TV round this past week. Did a virtual town hall with Anderson Cooper on Friday night. Basically said all the right things … but he does not hold office now. I think the campaign has to be careful that a) they don’t appear to politicize while the pandemic is climbing and b) they don’t step on the toes of governors and mayors who are having to plead for the federal government to step up. There’s only so much Biden can say before people tune out since he is not able to make direct decisions. ---
**Author:** ![Crane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crane/32/3495_2.png) [@Crane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crane)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2020, 2:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-should-be-the-main-talking-points-of-the-2020-dem-pres-candidate-presumably-biden/850380/34 "2020-03-30T14:53:15Z")
Boycott, Good point, but he can praise the Governors and Mayors and totally ignore Trump. ---
**Author:** ![ThelmaLou](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thelmalou/32/390_2.png) [@ThelmaLou](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThelmaLou)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2020, 3:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-should-be-the-main-talking-points-of-the-2020-dem-pres-candidate-presumably-biden/850380/35 "2020-03-30T15:19:01Z")
**Trump Won the Internet. Democrats Are Scrambling to Take It Back.** > **[Trump Won the Internet. Democrats Are Scrambling to Take It Back. (Published...](https://www.nytimes.com/2020/03/30/us/politics/democrats-digital-strategy.html)** > > In the era of big data, memes and disinformation, the Democrats are trying to regain their digital edge as the president and his loyalists dictate the terms of debate. > [@](#): > > …Mr. Biden has only 4.6 million Twitter followers to Mr. Trump’s 75 million, 1.7 million Facebook fans to Mr. Trump’s 28 million, and nothing resembling the president’s robust ecosystem of amplifying accounts. > … > > As Mr. Biden closes in on his party’s nomination, that digital mismatch underscores one of the Democrats’ biggest general-election challenges: They are up against a political figure who has marshaled all the forces of the modern web to refract reality and savage his opponents. Yet they are starting from a deficit, struggling to regain their once-formidable online edge. > > Now closing this technological divide has taken on deepening urgency, with public life shut down against the threat of the coronavirus. Already, Mr. Biden’s allies have expressed anxiety about his ability to break into the national conversation around the pandemic as it reverberates from the president’s daily briefings to social media feeds. > … > > In interviews with more than 30 leaders across all the factions, Democrats and progressives were cautiously optimistic that their technological machinery would be in fighting shape for the general election. None, though, said it was yet where it needed to be. > > It will almost certainly fall to Mr. Biden to bring it all together. > > … I don’t know if this article is paywalled. If you can access it and have the stomach for it, it details the conservative/Republican tidal wave that took control of the digital side of messaging and campaigning. It will curl your hair. The point being that it won’t matter what the Democratic message is if they and Biden can’t be “heard” over the daily din that is trump’s cacophanous campaign machine, the Soundtrack of Our Lives. Reader comments suggest that Bernie is the candidate who CAN command the digital audience, casting him as the winner FDR to trump’s Hoover, leaving inconsequential Biden in the dust. And Bernie doesn’t plan to give up. We are fucked. I’m starting to think this whole thread is moot… I might have to lie down for a while… ---
**Author:** ![ThelmaLou](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thelmalou/32/390_2.png) [@ThelmaLou](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThelmaLou)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2020, 5:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-should-be-the-main-talking-points-of-the-2020-dem-pres-candidate-presumably-biden/850380/36 "2020-03-30T17:11:49Z")
Waiting for xanax to kick in… Maybe these are some issues that need to be in the Dem platform. (Formatting in original) **[For some, coronavirus pushes new issues to top of national agenda](https://www.axios.com/glover-park-caucus-coronavirus-e95f679b-5667-494c-890b-a14aeac47597.html)** > [@](#): > > The coronavirus pandemic is helping shift policy priorities for some Americans, according to results from an online caucus the Glover Park Group provided to Axios. > > **Why it matters:** Crises can force the nation to acknowledge bipartisan problems that are often neglected due to lack of a political motivation to solve them. > > **The big picture:** Equal numbers of respondents (72%) cited each side of the crisis as a top concern — be it getting sick or losing someone close, or the economic damage inflicted by the lockdown. > > ``` > [ul] > > ``` > > [li]\*\*Worker protections and paid leave: \*\*According to the survey, paid leave and worker pay top the list of actions that Americans want to see businesses take to ease the crisis.[/li][li] **Manufacturing:** According to the report, more Americans are concerned about American dependence on supply chains outside of the U.S.[/li][li] **Broadband inequality:** School closures and remote work across the country are showcasing how inequities in access to high-speed broadband can impact access to education and work during a time of crisis.[/li][li] **Education:** The Glover Park Group research found that parents are worried about the long-term impact the coronavirus will have on the achievement gap.[/li][li] \*\*Mental health \*\*is becoming a bigger national concern as more Americans are forced to remain isolated away from loved ones and support systems.[/li][/ul] > > **The bottom line:** The windows for change can be short, so it’s unclear whether Americans will keep wanting these changes after the crisis calms down. > … ---
**Author:** ![Shodan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9f8e36/32.png) [@Shodan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shodan)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2020, 5:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-should-be-the-main-talking-points-of-the-2020-dem-pres-candidate-presumably-biden/850380/37 "2020-03-30T17:44:53Z")
Do you have any more information about this online caucus? I can’t tell if it is intended to represent anything. The Glover Park group mentioned is a PR firm founded by members of the Clinton and Gore administration and campaigns, so they might be closer to an advocacy group than a survey group. The part about education in particular struck me as odd - that parents would be concerned, not about the shut down’s impact on education in general, but on “the achievement gap” in particular. Also, “thousands may die, but what worries me is that not everyone has access to high-speed internet”. > [@](#): > > According to the survey, paid leave and worker pay top the list of actions that Americans want to see businesses take to ease the crisis. As usual, the devil is in the details. If Biden wants to push this, how does it work, and where does the pay come from? If it is increased unemployment insurance, but in a new way, OK, but how is it better than what is being done now? Regards, Shodan ---
**Author:** ![Akaj](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/akaj/32/145_2.png) [@Akaj](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Akaj)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2020, 6:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-should-be-the-main-talking-points-of-the-2020-dem-pres-candidate-presumably-biden/850380/38 "2020-03-30T18:07:16Z")
> [@Crane](#): > > Dems will restore the CDC, rebuild the health care infrastructure, restore and enlarge the Pandemic Response Team, vaccinate the entire population, increase the number of doctors and nurses in training, greatly expand the teaching of science in schools, restore the Constitutional structure of government - because - Trump was unable to understand the COV19 science and acted in ways that caused the pandemic to spread and become so severe - out of ignorance Trump fired the Pandemic Response Team - Trump defunded the CDC - Trump denied the existence of the threat - Trump delayed action - Trump is the icon of failed leadership. > [@ThelmaLou](#): > > Waiting for xanax to kick in… > > Maybe these are some issues that need to be in the Dem platform. (Formatting in original) > > **[For some, coronavirus pushes new issues to top of national agenda](https://www.axios.com/glover-park-caucus-coronavirus-e95f679b-5667-494c-890b-a14aeac47597.html)** > [@Shodan](#): > > The Glover Park group mentioned is a PR firm founded by members of the Clinton and Gore administration and campaigns, so they might be closer to an advocacy group than a survey group. The part about education in particular struck me as odd - that parents would be concerned, not about the shut down’s impact on education in general, but on “the achievement gap” in particular. > > Also, “thousands may die, but what worries me is that not everyone has access to high-speed internet”. As usual, the devil is in the details. If Biden wants to push this, how does it work, and where does the pay come from? > > If it is increased unemployment insurance, but in a new way, OK, but how is it better than what is being done now? (quotes snipped) I agree with a lot of what \*\*Crane \*\*says and think \*\*Shodan \*\*makes a good point. Let’s not make this about leveraging distress and outrage about COVID-19 into areas that comfortably align with existing Dem objectives (social safety net, inequality, etc.). Let’s propose a comprehensive plan (on the order of military preparedness) that makes sure we recover from this pandemic and that we’re not crippled by the next one. The second part would include: [ul] [li]Guarantees that no one (regardless of whether or how they have health insurance) would be denied prompt testing and appropriate care[/li][li]Capacity built into the healthcare system to ensure that its main priority is patient care for everyone who needs it, not simply profits[/li][li]Incentives for recruiting and educating more doctors, nurses and other clinicians who, like members of our military, run into the thick of the crisis when everyone else is taking shelter[/li][/ul] That’s just off the top of my head. How would all this come about? How much would it all cost? No idea. But laying out a coherent vision like this for the future would be a stark contrast to the way Trump & Co have bumbled their way through this crisis, and while critics might nibble at the particulars who could really argue with the general scope? ---
**Author:** ![Crane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crane/32/3495_2.png) [@Crane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crane)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2020, 7:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-should-be-the-main-talking-points-of-the-2020-dem-pres-candidate-presumably-biden/850380/39 "2020-03-30T19:26:00Z")
“Promote the general welfare” ---
**Author:** ![Wrenching\_Spanners](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/ecb155/32.png) [@Wrenching\_Spanners](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wrenching_Spanners)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2020, 3:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-should-be-the-main-talking-points-of-the-2020-dem-pres-candidate-presumably-biden/850380/40 "2020-03-31T15:44:15Z")
> [@ThelmaLou](#): > > What should Biden and the party outline as the components of that restorative course of action? 1. A jobs program. Millions of Americans are going to be unemployed after the Corona Virus subsides because the businesses they work for couldn’t handles a weeks or months long shutdown. Those people aren’t going to want to be unemployed or on welfare. A program to see their employment restored into new jobs will be both necessary and popular. 2. Infrastructure projects. Somewhat tied to the above. Establish a plan to spend money repairing roads, fixing up parks, cleaning up blighted areas, and improving telecommunication abilities. Make it clear that an company awarded a contract for an infrastructure project will need to hire additional employees. 3. A nationwide child care program, supported by childcare training. Again, this is about getting people back to work. This would be both directly, by moving people into childcare jobs, and indirectly, by enabling people who have to make a trade-off between expensive child care versus a job to avoid that trade-off. 4. An entrepreneurs initiative. Not direct handouts to businesses, but a program of cheap start-up loans, access to cheap health insurance for employees, deferred payroll taxes, streamlined licenses and regulations, and access to government procurement proposals. 5. Support for manufacturing, especially for health-care equipment. This shouldn’t be about eliminating the import of better, cheaper foreign made products. But if the trade-off is between a better domestic product or a cheaper foreign one, weight the choice towards the better domestic product. Also consider tariffs or other restrictions against countries with poor pollution or human rights records. And make protection of proprietary knowledge a key government policy. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-should-be-the-main-talking-points-of-the-2020-dem-pres-candidate-presumably-biden/850380.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-should-be-the-main-talking-points-of-the-2020-dem-pres-candidate-presumably-biden/850380.md?page=3)