With Bernie Sanders having dropped out of the race, we can now definitively congratulate Joe Biden on becoming the Democratic Party nominee for 2020. But with his troubling ideals and controversial actions, can he still be trusted to be better than Trump?

To answer these questions, let’s start with his record. As a senator, he voted for and proposed various laws that would increase penalties for illegal immigration and expand policies of deportation. In 2008, he proposed cracking down on sanctuary cities, a vital source of protection for undocumented immigrants. These past positions, along with policies of increasing drone strikes in the Middle East, are indicative of a ‘might makes right’ approach to politics that he continues to hold to this day. This is a dangerous idea, which might lead to even further escalation in our already delicate political climate.

That being said, policy isn’t the only important thing to consider about a presidential candidate. We have to look at him as a person as well. Unfortunately, this also leads us down a troubling rabbit hole. As anyone who’s seen a Biden speech can attest to, he’s often rambling and less than coherent. We need a president who can speak to the people, tell them what is happening and what they need to know, and he hasn’t shown that ability. He even shows signs of early dementia, though there’s no way to know at this time. His stutter and confusing speeches are not his only dangerous quality, however. 

Many of you have already heard about Tara Reade, a woman who was a part of Biden’s staff in 1993, and was allegedly sexually assaulted by him. These are serious and possibly campaign-ending allegations, and Biden has been completely silent on them. 

Finally, this brings us back to the core question of the Biden campaign. Is he better than Trump? If he’s elected, will he uphold the core principles of our democracy, or will it just be more of the same? As hard as it is to say while knowing about the Tara Reade allegations, it’s my belief that he’s still the right choice. Not a good choice, but the right one. Looking at it objectively, the Democrats can’t afford to lose another seat on the Supreme Court and Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg is 87 years old, and has stated she might make it only to 90 before retirement. If Trump is allowed to stay in office another four years, he could deal serious, permanent damage to the US in our current fragile state. Biden would, at the very least, bring things back to some degree of normalcy. 

I don’t consider this an endorsement of Biden, But that doesn’t mean I’m bashing him. With the current candidates and our current system, it’s really down to a 2-person race. And if that race is between Donald Trump and Joe Biden, then we have to do everything in our power to stop Trump. And right now, the best way to do that is to vote for Biden, even if it feels distasteful. •