Frank Bruni from the New York Times had a very nice piece today about Joe Biden. In it, he talks about how Joe Biden may not be electric on the debate stage, but that his simple message in Iowa seems to be resounding with many voters.
Bruni talk about how this election for the Democrats comes down to the three Rs: revolution, rejuvenation, or restoration. The left wing of the party - represented by Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren - represents big structural change, or a revolution. Pete Buttigieg represents rejuvenation and replacing the elderly wing of the party with a younger face. Joe Biden - and to some extent Amy Klobuchar - represent a return to normalcy and decency and moderation in our politics akin to the Obama era.
No one theory of governance is correct. However, I find myself strongly drawn to the theme of restoration. I would trade in a heartbeat to return to Nov 7, 2016, the day before Trump won the White House. Then, American seemed more hopeful, more kind, and more unified, I realize that I clearly misperceived the national mood and that many others did not believe their leaders or their lives were on track. They voted to blow everything up, and that is exactly what has happened to this country.
Do I believe we need a Marshall Plan for the United States? Absolutely. However, in order to revitalize our country, one has to to first win an election, and I believe that means building a coalition - rather than being uncompromising and demanding purity tests.
We will see what the voters decide, but if a candidate cannot inspire me - a lifelong Democrat - how do we expect them to inspire someone who voted for Trump in 2016 or who has never voted at all?
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