Asheville Citizen-Times Endorses Joe Biden: Joe Biden will do what’s right for Western North Carolinians

by 10/16/2020

 

On the first day of in-person early voting, the Asheville Citizen-Times endorsed Joe Biden for President of the United States. In the editorial, the Asheville Citizen-Times cited Biden as “a good candidate who can be supported on his own merits.” They highlighted his dedication to combating climate change, his policies for working families, and his commitment to ensuring that health care is a right, not a privilege.

There is a tremendous temptation to go negative when discussing the 2020 presidential election. Donald Trump is such an easy target, and one at which this board has taken aim many times over the last four years.

But we’re not going to do that today. Instead, we are going to point out why Joe Biden would serve the people of Western North Carolina far better than his opponent.

We realize minds are largely immovable in this political climate, in this race. But after 150 years of endorsing candidates who this board believes would serve Western North Carolina’s people – our people – best, we know that this is not the moment to stand on the sidelines.

[…]

Biden’s wide-ranging program to decelerate climate change includes a pledge to eliminate carbon emissions from power plants by 2035. Unlike most other Democrats, however, Biden understands that renewable sources alone cannot meet the nation’s needs and supports continuation of nuclear power generation, if plants capture carbon emissions.

He would increase capital gains taxes on those making more than $1 million a year and would increase the tax rate in the top earnings bracket to 39.6 percent. He would also put a 28% cap on the value of tax breaks for the wealthy. These changes would make the affluent pay their fair share while keeping taxes the same for most people.

Other measures he supports that would help the working class are a $15 an hour minimum wage and 12 weeks of paid time off to care for a newborn or a sick family member. “How do you choose between leaving the bedside of your dying son or daughter who doesn’t want you to leave, who just want you to hang on, to go to work?” Biden said.
Biden’s program for combatting the coronavirus includes a test-trace-isolate program, mandates for mask-wearing and social distancing and, once the science supports it, an equitably distributed vaccine. He says he will listen to scientists and follow their lead.

He would reverse the trend toward spurning international compacts. He would have the United States re-enter the Paris Agreement and supports some form of trans-Pacific partnership. “Either China’s going to write the rules of the road for the 21st century on trade, or we are,” he said.

[…]

We could on and on with reasons why President Trump should be defeated. He has been tragically wrong on almost every issue and his personal conduct is deplorable. We’ll just say he is intellectually and morally unfit to hold office under the U.S. Constitution and leave it at that.
But there’s no need to base your vote solely on what Trump is and says. The Democrats have put forth a good candidate who can be supported on his own merits.

Read excerpts from the endorsement below:

Asheville Citizen-Times: EDITORIAL: Joe Biden will do what’s right for Western North Carolinians
10/15/20


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