Biden vs. Trump - A partial voting guidePart 1 of a 2-part series
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Steve Corbin | Professor Emeritus of Marketing, University of Northern Iowa
This is part 1 of a 2-part op-ed series, focused on America’s main stream presidential candidates Joe Biden and Donald Trump. Part one is a meta compare and contrast analysis of five major issues in hopes the review may assist voters come Nov. 5. The second op-ed will address 13 additional topics. An April 4-8 poll from the Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research focused on adults’ perspective as to how Biden and Trump’s respective presidencies have hurt America. Two issues surrounding Biden’s presidency (2021-2025) are of concern: the cost of living and immigration. Five issues about Trump’s presidency (2017-2021) are still perplexing to voters: voting rights, election security, relations with foreign countries, abortion laws and climate change. The 2024 choice for presidency – and issues of concern -- couldn’t be more different. The opinions of two prominent and revered writers for the conservative-oriented Wall Street Journal are referenced below. First is Alan Blinder, professor of economics and public affairs at Princeton and former vice chairman of the Federal Reserve (1994-1996). The other is William Galston, who writes the Journal’s weekly Politics and Issues column, an expert on domestic policy, political campaigns and elections.Immigration: On March 28, Blinder opines “Mr. Trump directed his followers in Congress to scuttle a `compromise’ bill to bolster the southern border—a bill Mr. Biden and many Democrats had already accepted, partially so that they could move on to other pressing mattes regarding Ukraine, Israel, Taiwan and the budget. Mr. Trump, by contrast, preferred to let the border crisis fester so that he could use it as a campaign issue.” Trump’s zero-tolerance policy separated thousands of migrant children from their parents, an action opposed by two-thirds of Americans (CBS News, June 18, 2018). Biden ended that policy on the 13th day of his presidency. It’s ironic Trump believes immigrants are “poisoning the blood” of our country, while he and 97.1 percent of Americans are here due to immigration.Abortion: Joe Biden, a devout Catholic who has supported women’s rights for decades, has vowed he’ll restore the 1973 Roe v. Wade landmark decision if he gets control of Congress. Donald Trump, a former pro-choice advocate, proudly boasts he was “able to terminate Roe v. Wade” and “honored” to do so by appointing three conservative Supreme Court justices. Trump’s most recent pronouncement that state legislatures and courts should control reproductive rights means – according to Republican Voters Against Trump – “33,360,789 women now live in a state where abortion is banned without exceptions for rape or incest” (Huffpost, April 11). A Gallup survey found American support of legal abortion access remains strong; 61 percent say overturning Roe v. Wade was a “bad thing” (June 14 & July 7, 2023).North Atlantic Treaty Organization: Seventy-eight percent of Americans remain committed to the NATO alliance (Chicago Council on Global Affairs, Apr. 4). Galston states: “Donald Trump has made clear that he has no intention of honoring the commitment the U.S. made when it signed the NATO charter (April 4, 1949), including the defense of other members who come under attack. For Mr. Biden, NATO is a solemn compact based on common interest and shared values. For Mr. Trump, it’s a financial transaction” (Feb. 14).Ukraine: Seventy-four percent of Americans view the war between Russia and Ukraine as important to US national interests (Pew Research Center, Feb. 16). Galston made his thoughts on the conflict quite clear: “The U.S. has worked for three quarters of a century under presidents of both parties to help Europe remain safe and free. Now one ignorant, amoral demagogue has persuaded a majority of one party that this effort is a mistake. A great tragedy is in the making unless leaders in both parties can find a way to thwart him” (Feb. 14).Israel-Hamas-Gaza War: According to an April 5 PBS report, “Israel’s handling of the war in Gaza has become a major U.S. election issue. Both President Biden and former President Trump have expressed concern with the humanitarian situation and Israel’s international standing after an airstrike killed seven aid workers.” Biden, Trump, the Democratic Party and the GOP are miffed as to what to do since “American’s views about the Isreal-Hamas war differ widely by age, as do their perceptions about discrimination against Jewish, Muslim and Arab people in the United States” (Pew Research Center, April 2).Part 2 of this analysis of issues related to Biden and Trump’s respective presidential campaign will focus on 13 topics such as education, economy, trade policy, tax policy, Jan. 6 insurrectionists, infrastructure, democracy-authoritarianism, climate change and 2020-2024 elections. Watch this space.
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Op-ed reference sources:
Alan S. Blinder, Biden vs. Trump: A choice, not an echo, on economic policy, The Wall Street Journal, March 28, 2024
Rick Newman, The Biden stock market is swamping Trump’s, Yahoo Finance, April 1, 2024
Peter Baker, Biden offers `ironclad’ commitment to allies, defying Russia (and Trump), The New York Times, March 12, 2024
William A. Galston, Ukraine’s fate rests on Speaker Johnson, The Wall Street Journal, Feb. 21, 2024
William A. Galston, Trump thinks NATO is optional, The Wall Street Journal, Feb. 14, 2024
Ivo Daalder, At 75, NATO support in US is strong, America Abroad, April 4, 2024
Jordan Lippert, How Americans view the conflicts between Russia and Ukraine, Israel and Hamas and China and Taiwan, Pew Research Center, Feb. 16, 2024
Lydia Saad, Broader support for abortion rights continues post-Dobbs, Gallup, Inc., June 14, 2023
Michelle L. Price and Christine Fernando, Abortion rights opponents and supporters seize on report that Trump privately pushes 16-week ban, Associated Press, Feb. 16, 2024
Blair Guild, Poll: Most Americans oppose immigrant family separation, CBS News, June 18, 2018
Seung Min Kim and Amelia Thomson-Deveaux, Many say Biden and Trump did more harm than good, but for different reasons, AP-NORC poll shows, April 12, 2024
Ed Mazza, Republican group torches Trump with his own words in damning new video, Huffpost, April 11, 2024
(news report) Israel’s war in Gaza becomes a major U.S. election issue, April 5, 2024
Laura Silver, Younger Americans stand out in the views of the Israel-Hamas war, Pew Research Center, April 2, 2024
(news report) Where do Americans stand on abortion?, Gallup, Inc., July 7, 2023
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Contact information: 319-290-9779; Steven.B.Corbin@gmail.com; Apr. 15-Oct. 31: 4116 Maryhill Drive, Cedar Falls, IA 50613-5781 and Nov. 1-Apr. 14: 55055 Shoal Creek, La Quinta, CA 92253-4728Disclosures:
Steve is a non-paid freelance opinion editor and guest columnist contributor (circa 2013) to 181 newspapers in 39 states who receives no remuneration, funding or endorsement from any for-profit business, not-for-profit organization, political action committee or political party
Steve is Professor Emeritus of Marketing, University of Northern Iowa, Cedar Falls (1975-2013); Marketing Department Head (17 years); State of Iowa Board of Regents Award for Faculty Excellence in Teaching, Research and Service (2003)
Steve graduated from Nevada H.S. (Nevada, IA) in 1966; University of Northern Iowa (1970 bachelor’s degree); Colorado State University (1972 master’s degree); Virginia Tech (1975 doctoral degree)
Steve was elected to public office three times and served on the Denver Community School District Board of Education (Denver, IA) for 11 years, serves on the Advisory Board of Discerning Wealth Ameriprise Financial Services (Cedar Falls, IA) and is a member of the Cedar Falls Lions Club, Lions Clubs of Iowa and Lions Clubs International
Steve is married to Doris J. Kelley (Iowa House of Representatives, 2007-2011; Chair/Vice-Chair - Iowa Board of Parole, 2011-2014; Chair, Iowa’s 19th Amendment Centennial Commemoration, 2017-2021)
Steve has three sons, three daughters-in-laws and three grandchildren
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