Sunny Joe vs. Darth Trump

Could it depend on the price of Cheerios?

After reeling off some good news – low unemployment, rebuilt roads, new factories – an optimistic Joe Biden credited the American people. He said, “It's because of you, America is coming back. It's because of you, our future is brighter.” In his State of the Union speech, he did not name Donald Trump but repeatedly talked of defending democracy. But everyone knew what he meant.

Days later Donald Trump shared his dystopian vision of our country. He said, “We are a nation in decline. We are a failing nation” with an economy that is “collapsing into a cesspool of ruin.”

He added that, “In many ways, we’re living in hell right now.”

What explains the difference between Sunny Joe and Darth Trump? On one level it seems to be their disposition. In your mind’s eye, Biden is a smiling, if sometimes stumbling member of the family. Now think of Trump. If you don’t see a hunched old man who ruins a family holiday with his sour disposition, you haven’t been paying attention.

To be fair, like traditional politicians, Biden does shade reality to favor himself. After stating the truth about rising rates of employment and (very slowly) declining inflation he then says, “…the American people are beginning to feel it.” In fact, the American people are anxious about the economy because every day they are dealing with stubbornly high supermarket prices -- $5 bread, $8 boxes of Cheerios. This is why polls are showing a great many feel something is still wrong. They don’t seem to be so alarmed when Biden tells the clear truth is the when he speaks of Trump’s threat to democracy. After all, this is the man who refused to accept the 2020 election results, inspired the 2021 mob attack on the Capitol, and promised to be a dictator on his first day in office. (Maybe voter emphasis on prices reflects the Clinton-era maxim, “It’s the economy stupid.”)

When he talks, Trump returns to his 2017 rhetoric about “American carnage” and to the lies, profanity mockery and extremism he introduced to our politics back in 2015. Over the weekend he said, “Everything Joe Biden touches turns to shit,” and he mocked Biden by pretending to stutter. (Biden has coped with a stutter since childhood and occasionally stumbles on words.) This is not the first time Trumped has lobbed a juvenile remark at a person with a disability.  In 2016 he uttered similar remarks about a New York Times reporter who has a disability.

In his effort to support his dark vision of America Trump trades the truth for lies. Crime-ridden major cities? Violent crime is down across the board. The press is comprised of “criminals?” A recent poll shows, more people trust the major mainstream media than mistrust it. Meanwhile, approval of the Supreme Court, which is now dominated by Trump appointees, has slipped to a record low of 40 percent.

What’s going on here? Well, Biden seems to be heeding the example of President Reagan, who, despite the nation's lingering problems – mortgage rates were above 13 percent -- sought re-election with the theme, “It’s morning in America.” Like Reagan, Biden is offering optimism, confidence and faith in the American people as a whole, and a positive disposition. Trump is turning, for the third time, to us-versus-them grievances and making up problems caused by what he refers to as “the threat from within.”

It's likely that Biden’s mostly-positive campaign will face Trump’s lies, mockery, and culture war incitements for the rest of the election season. Although his dark-side message has never captured the majority (not even close) Trump won an Electoral College victory in 2016 and came close in 2020. As they present themselves again, a weary electorate will have to consider Sunny Joe versus Darth Trump. The choice seems clear to me, but I’m worried about the price of Cheerios.