On the candidates: general election 2020

With the presidential election on the horizon and the political landscape as complex as ever, Spokesman presents the need-to-know information on the candidates so WHS students can cast their ballots with confidence. Keep reading for a brief summary of the candidates. Skip to page 4 for their positions on the issues.

Candidate profiles

President Donald J. Trump (Republican)

Donald Trump is the current President of the United States, running for his second term. Trump won the 2016 election on promises of rebuilding the economy, building a wall on the U.S- Mexico border and cracking down on illegal immigration, and fighting corruption in the federal government. In the first 3 years of his presidency, the U.S experienced its strongest economy in decades, with record-high stock market numbers and record-low unemployment. Whether this is because of Trump’s executive orders cutting regulations on businesses or the tax cuts he signed in or just the natural trend of the economy is unknown. This economy crashed due to the COVID-19 pandemic; Trump responded by providing bailouts to major corporations and stimulus checks of $1200+  to American citizens. For his 2020 campaign, Trump’s promises remain similar to 2016, with one notable exception: he has given up on his push for the wall. Instead, he has shifted his focus to reducing burdens allegedly caused by uncodumented immigrants by limiting undocumented immigrants’ access taxpayer-funded resources (like healthcare, free college tuition, welfare, etc.), dismantling human trafficking networks and more.

Former Vice President Joseph R. Biden (Democrat)

Joe Biden was Vice President of the United States under the Barack Obama administration from 2009-2017. Prior to this, he was a Senator for Delaware from 1973-2009. As a senator, Biden built up a record for his tough-on-crime policies in the 1980s and 1990s, his strict gun control stance, and his heavy-handed approach to counter-terrorism measures. Biden was famous for writing the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994, also known as the ‘94 Crime Bill. This bill included greatly expanded use of the death penalty, increased funding for police and prisons and a ban on assault weapons (the ban expired in 2004 and has not been renewed). Recently, Biden has claimed that much of the USA Patriot Act— a post-9/11 bill that allowed massively increased government surveillance in the name of counter-terrorism— was ripped from the counter-terrorism bill he drafted six years prior. For his 2020 campaign, Biden’s top priority is defeating Donald Trump and acting as a transition president for younger, more progressive Democrats. Whether he plans to run for reelection in 2024 if he wins in 2020 is unclear, as he has been on record saying he will and will not. In office, he plans to massively increase funding for public schools and police, reinforce the Affordable Care Act (also known as Obamacare), and increase border security without building a wall, fence or other barrier.

Dr. Joanne M. Jorgensen (Libertarian)

Jo Jorgensen is one of two third-party candidates to consistently poll above 1%, earning her a spot here alongside the Democratic and Republican nominees. Jorgensen has worked as a Senior Lecturer in Psychology at Clemson University since 2006 and is an activist in her free time; she has never held political office. As a Libertarian, she takes stances that are more right-wing on economics than Republicans and more liberal on social issues than Democrats, making them an appealing choice for voters who want free markets and free people. For example, Jorgensen has been critical of President Trump’s tariffs, arguing that they create a financial burden on average consumers. She also opposes economic sanctions, embargoes and foreign aid that both parties have shown support for. Her stance on police reform is more progressive than either major candidate, as she supports ending qualified immunity and demilitarizing the police. Her top priorities are ending construction on Trump’s border wall, bringing home all troops deployed in foreign countries, decriminalizing all drugs, and replacing Social Security with individual retirement accounts. She has also emphasized her importance as a female candidate in a race where both major candidates are men who’ve faced sexual assault allegations.

Howard G. Hawkins (Green)

The second, lower polling third-party candidate to poll above 1% is Howie Hawkins: the nominee for the Green Party and the party’s founder. Hawkins has unsuccessfully ran for office 24 times while holding down a job as a construction worker. He has also done work as a trade unionist. Hawkins’ policies may seem very familiar, as Senator Bernie Sanders and Representative Alexadria Ocasio-Cortez have popularized them. While the policies these politicians stand for are often seen as too radical for the moderate Democratic Party, they’re the norm within the Green Party. Hawkins is the earliest known supporter of the environmental action policy known as the Green New Deal. His version of the Green New Deal would cost $42 trillion over 10 years in an effort to transition to 100% clean energy by 2030. Hawkins also supports cutting down the military as much as possible; this includes withdrawing from foreign wars, cutting the military budget by 75% and working on treaties to prohibit use of nuclear weapons. Hawkins’ other top priorities include a $20 minimum wage, Medicare For All, completely opening the borders, and transitioning from capitalism to socialism.

On the issues:

Economics:

Domestic Policy

Criminal Justice

Foreign Policy

Immigration

Education

Environment

Elections

Public Health