Issues in the coming election:
The pandemic
The Trump administration's response is and has been incompetent. This is a war. The enemy is invisible, and the victims, when they die, are almost invisible. In past armed wars, the president, Congress and the people mounted a coordinated plan to fight and hopefully win. This pandemic was left up to state and local governors, and the results have been horrendous in terms of illnesses and deaths. The motivation for President Donald Trump seems to be to rejuvenate the economy, which in turn would improve his re-election chances. However, it is apparent we can't have a healthy economy without healthy people. Whether out of selfishness, greed or ignorance, it is proof of Trump's unfitness to be president.
The economy
The Obama/Biden response to the 2008 recession is the reason the economy was in great shape when Trump was elected. As of now, the invested and the wealthy are in great shape; however, the remainder of the population is in desperate shape, facing hunger, the loss of jobs and health care, and potential eviction and homelessness. Trump and many Republicans want an unregulated capitalism. Unregulated capitalism is what caused the Great Depression of 1929 and the recession of 2008. Many people are now in something like a great depression.
Climate change
While some business regulations inhibit efficiency, many regulations that have been eliminated were meant to deter climate change, such those regarding clean water, vehicle exhaust, and oil and gas production. Climate change is here and if not stopped and reversed will become irreversible. We are feeling the effects, but it is the people yet to be born who will suffer even more.
As with the pandemic, it is important to pay attention to the science.
Health care
The pandemic has made it clear that many lose health care when they lose their jobs. The Trump administrationhas sought to undermine the Affordable Care Act, under which approximately 20 million previously uninsured people gained coverage. Trump and his team have not come up with their own plan.
Law and race
Systematic racism has been pervasive for years. At the end of World War II, Black people were not allowed to readily take advantage of the G.I. Bill that, among other benefits, sent veterans to college. Redlining in the housing market persists, despite being illegal. It prevents people of color from buying homes in certain neighborhoods. Schools in low-income neighborhoods often have lower-quality equipment and supplies. Health care and transportation play a part as well. While reforming the attitudes of police and others is important, we need to get at the root causes of poverty and desperation. Last year, I heard Trump quoted on driving through a Black neighborhood: "How can they live like this?" And the treatment of Hispanics at our southern border is disgusting. It is clear to many that Trump has insidiously promoted racism and violence.
Foreign affairs and the military
Trump's ignoring the documented Russian interference in our elections is reprehensible. These attacks strike at the root of our democracy. He has weakened our relationships with our European allies, which is important for their, and our, security. His documented remarks about our own military personnel at every rank make him unqualified to be commander in chief.
