My Personal Platform
I no longer vote based on singular party platform issues.
Today, I put as much stock in those as I do "company mission statements."
I now vote for progress toward our better/best selves. I vote for leaders who have displayed the potential to find some consensus between disparate party differences. I vote for leaders who are likely to seek for solutions that encourage and reinforce less environmentally or socially destructive means & methods.
Our Nation needs to move forward. Progress may require leaving old ideas behind. Nothing becomes greater by devolving. Discomfort may occur with growth, but not growing results in decomposition. I will not fear change.
Our Nation needs to be part of a global community. I seek leaders who are more likely to seek consensus with other Nations; building not just peace but a global community.
I feel Mr. Biden will move forward with such new thinking by surrounding himself with cabinet members who are well versed in their field and have innovative ideas for the future.
Who is a President?
I believe the primary role of a President is to represent who we Americans are to the rest of the world.
Joe Biden represents the kind of America I would like the rest of the world to think we are:
One who is likely to listen to wise counsel.
One who is likely to seek consensus with other leaders.
One who sees the U.S. as part of a growing global community that needs to involve everyone in making the world a better place.
One who sees unique differences of faith, sex, race, etc. as all parts of a diverse and inclusive society.
One who is willing to learn, grow, and admit he/we may have made mistakes and seek to rectify wrongs.
Character of a man
I see in Joe Biden a man who's focus has been his family.
It's why he did not run for President in 2016. After his son's loss to cancer, his family needed him.
A man who understands the importance of family is more likely to support the needs of American families.
Experience Matters
Some will point to Joe's years of experience as indicating he is "part of the problem of big government."
I have grown to appreciate experience.
In most ANY other job role in the world, experience is a qualification for hire.
In view of current events, Joe Biden has specifically already had the experience of
Heading off an economic recession (2009).
Dealing with potential Pandemics (2009). Granted, he got lucky and it wasn't as harsh as COVID19, but he learned and then managed to help contain quickly contain Ebola when it appeared in the U.S. The Obama/Biden administration also learned an important lesson:
They listened to the scientists. They got Congress on board. They put
experts out in front of the public. And they righted messaging, adopting
an acronym that would serve as a linchpin in averting future snafus:
PTFOTV — Put Tony Fauci on TV.
Listening to opposition
Mr. Biden has made changes on political and social positions over the years. He has also apologized for gaffes and missteps.
I am more apt to trust a person who understands no one is without fault and is willing to listen and change perspectives.
I believe this to be a key reason for his choice of Kamala Harris as Vice President. She has disagreed with him on quite a few things.
When Obama selected Mr. Biden as Vice President, they had an agreement that I suspect Biden/Harris will also keep. When Mr. Obama had a major decision to make and met with other cabinet members, Mr. Biden was always "last in the room" so that Mr. Obama could get an honest opinion and not just a "yes sir." The Vice President is not to be just a "yes man." The Vice President is to be that one voice that says, "This might be a bad idea, and here's why."
With the selection of Kamala Harris, I believe Mr. Biden has solidified his position as being a person who will listen to the wise counsel of opposing ideas.
That Supreme Court Issue
The last time I worried about who would appoint a Supreme Court, I voted for George W. Bush. (I take solace in the fact that, due to the Electoral College system, my vote didn't matter.)
Turns out that's not the only thing he did during his Presidency.
It also turns out that Supreme Court Justice "leanings" don't change laws or equate to support of a political viewpoint (as we have recently seen).
It may be wiser to find solutions to problems and social issues that don't require the Supreme Court to overturn decades of precedence and law.
It's not about winning
It's about leading a union.
Leaders build consensus, lead by example, and encourage constructive criticism.