By Edwin Cooney
Sixty years ago this November 8th, Jack Kennedy, by the thinnest of margins, satisfied the American people that the United States was significantly behind the Soviets in the space race and that there was a significant missile gap to the advantage of the Soviets. Both circumstances required the application of young, vigorous, and progressive leadership that would "get America moving again!" John Fitzgerald Kennedy prevailed in that election only by approximately 112,000 popular votes and 303 to 219 votes in the Electoral College. For the next 1,036 days, Americans lived in Jacqueline Kennedy's "Camelot."
In 1964, Lyndon B. Johnson adequately demonstrated to a bereaved public that his version of national security and prosperity was superior to Barry Goldwater's risky adventures in international games of “stick 'em up” with the Soviets and the conservative brand of free market government hands-off advocated by right-wing Republicans. Hence, Lyndon and Lady Bird Johnson were free to build their "Great Society."
By November 5th, 1968, former Vice President Richard M. Nixon had proved to a sufficient plurality of voters that he could and would follow the wishes of the “silent majority" to bring law and order here at home and "peace with honor" to the Vietnam conflict, thus paving his way to 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue.
Jimmy Carter in 1976 promised you and me that, as an outsider, he could bring about a sufficient amount of fresh air to blow off the stale atmosphere of corrupt politics pervading throughout Washington D.C.
Ronald Reagan proved by November 6th, 1984 that Jimmy Carter's "malaise" was a thing of the far distant past and that it was now "morning in America.” Thus, the genial president won every state but Walter Mondale's Minnesota even taking traditionally Democratic Massachusetts which had voted for Senator George McGovern in 1972.
George H. W. Bush, by November 8th, 1988, promised that from his lips there would be no new taxes, that school children would always be free to salute the flag in their classrooms, that Boston Harbor wouldn't be nearly as polluted under his leadership, that no furloughed black prisoner would invade their homes, and that with his experiences as an ambassador and as CIA Director, he could bargain more effectively with the Soviet Union than could Massachusetts Governor Michael Dukakis.
The next four presidential candidates, Bill Clinton, George W. Bush, Barack Obama and Donald Trump, demonstrated that, as the outs, they were superior to the ins!
As for 2020, while it's still possible for President Trump to prevail, he appears to be interested in only one thing: his personal success. He shows little empathy for his fellow Republicans as they seek to retain their seats in the House, Senate, or other offices.
Additionally, how many voters, beyond those already committed to him, can he expect to draw to his rallies, be they at the White House or elsewhere? Even if the president is personally non-contagious, how many other people who largely share the president's recklessness toward the disease might be at a Trump rally? Also, what effect will President Trump's insistence on not engaging in a virtual debate affect the way he's perceived during the next three weeks?
As for the values or priorities the president offers, he has put himself in a position to favor the people’s economic security, rather than their personal safety in the wake of Covid-19. By questioning the integrity of the voting public, he is undermining that ever fragile link between a popular leader and his or her constituency. After all, as essential as the economy may be, people worry more about the health of their friends and their families as well as the legitimacy of their ballots.
As for former Vice President Biden, I'm convinced he can sew up his case by clearly asserting both publicly and preferably in front of Mr. Trump: Mr. President, this election is not about me or about you! It's about the future welfare of the American people.
Somehow and in some way, President Trump needs to demonstrate to the public that our national welfare, as stated in the Preamble of our Constitution, is as important to him as his personal political success. Finally, since the president has had four years to offer a counterproposal to "Obamacare" but has not done so, what proposed legislation will he offer that would cover pre-existing conditions and sufficiently lower the costs of drugs and other health-oriented services?
Joe Biden, who also must explain his own set of policy inconsistencies and political vagaries, goes into the final three weeks with two decided advantages: he’s much more personally likable and his political success is truly about our own well-being rather than about his!
RESPECTFULLY SUBMITTED,
EDWIN COONEY
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