Why I Am Voting for Joe Biden

Credit Image: © Adam Schultz / Biden via ZUMA Wire / ZUMAPRESS.com

One can be a race realist without being a nationalist, conservative, or Republican. Race realism is supported by testable hypotheses about human biology. Nationalism and conservatism are ideologies, and the GOP is a political party. Based on the scientific evidence I have seen, I am a race realist. Races are biologically distinct, and not interchangeable. At the same time, I retain my political and ideological commitment to the socialist–labor left of Norman Thomas and Walter Reuther. I believe government should protect the working- and middle-classes, and uplift the poor.

The Democrat Party began to lose focus on economic issues in the 1960s when it became more interested in helping non-whites of all economic classes. Ronald Reagan took advantage of this and pioneered the tactic of appealing to the social concerns of whites to win their votes from Democrats. Electorally, this benefited the Republican party. Economically, it did not benefit whites who weren’t rich. During the Reagan administration the number of factory jobs began to decline from their high during Jimmy Carter’s presidency.

The Reagan administration let the rich pay lower taxes on bigger incomes, while the incomes for most Americans stagnated or declined.

President Trump is similar to President Reagan. He talks about non-economic issues that excite many white people, but implements economic policies that hurt them. The Republican Party tries to minimize and privatize the welfare state whenever possible. Four more years of President Trump in the White House would mean Social Security and Medicare could be eliminated or greatly reduced. Most white blue-collar workers do not have health and retirement plans through their jobs. Most do not make enough money to save for retirement or pay for private health insurance. They need the Affordable Care Act (“Obamacare”), and they will need Social Security and Medicare when they retire.

Joe Biden will keep Social Security and Medicare at existing levels. Mr. Biden will support the Affordable Care Act. Mr. Biden will also restore the environmental regulations President Trump has repealed. Pollution harms all of us, including all of President Trump’s white supporters.

Neither of our two main political parties have immigration policies that represent average white Americans. Mass immigration is a major cause of the growing income divide. Immigrants depress average wages because they give employers a larger pool of employees to choose from. At the same time, by creating a bigger pool of renters and prospective homeowners, immigrants increase housing costs. They increase profits for employers and investors and make everyone else poorer.

I agree with President Trump that we need to reduce illegal immigration. There are ways to do that that are less expensive and less environmentally destructive than building a big wall. The emphasis should be on punishing those who rent to and hire illegal immigrants. The GOP does not like that idea because landlords and employers are often Republican donors. President Trump has also said, “Legal immigrants enrich our nation and strengthen our society in countless ways. I want people to come into our country in the largest numbers ever, but they have to come in legally.” I don’t see much difference between that and Joe Biden’s promise to, “Welcome immigrants in our communities.”

Finally, President Trump is a dishonest demagogue. The Washington Post has counted over 18,000 “false or misleading claims” he has made since taking office. He is not a “redeemer” of whites or the working class. He is a liar whose tenure benefits oligarchs far more than anyone else. The Republican Party has become the party of the white working class — but it is not the party for them. I will be voting for Joe Biden.