Robert Reich, Secretary of Labor of the Clinton era, said that the crisis offered Biden a unique opportunity to make policy changes that he would otherwise find difficult to explain.
“Even if he wants to be perceived as cautious and prudent on issues such as income support and health care, the pandemic gives him more room for audacity than before the pandemic,” said Reich. “A national trauma like the one we are experiencing and which we will definitely experience in the next month or two enables a politician to actually say: ‘I have now seen what the country needs in a way that the country has also experienced, and therefore I change the position. ‘”
While the general election is still seven months away, the impact on the electorate is likely to continue after weeks of death, orders at home, job losses and business closings.
“If we emerge from this, millions of Americans will have a completely different experience of what has happened than ever before in their lives,” said Reich. “It’s almost like going through the Great Depression or World War II in the sense that the direct experience of a traumatic event changes attitudes toward government and public order, sometimes profoundly.”
In response to criticism from the Democrats, Trump’s campaign highlighted the relief measures he included in the law and accused Biden of “cutting off the sidelines”. The president has suggested that the economy will start moving again before the general election and direct payments to millions of Americans – even if they arrive late – could benefit him in November.
However, the economic damage from the pandemic has already proven to be severe and is expected to worsen this month. House spokeswoman Nancy Pelosi on Friday called for an expansion of the $ 2 trillion aid package signed by Trump that includes more money for small businesses and more direct payments to Americans.
Barry Goodman, member of the National Democratic Committee and Biden coordinator, said Democrats should criticize Trump for his reluctance to take public health measures that adversely affect the stock market, believes this about science. “
“In the end, he fueled the economy worse than it could ever have,” said Goodman.
Biden’s campaign does not signal a change in wholesale policy as a result of the crisis. Kate Bedingfield, Biden’s communications director, said the vice president has “developed many really advanced strategies to help working people, and I think this crisis eases the need to double this agenda.”
Still, Biden has passed some more advanced guidelines in the past few weeks. Biden has accepted a proposal to make public colleges and universities non-teaching for students whose family income falls below $ 125,000 – part of the Sanders platform. He urged policymakers not to allow the effects of the coronavirus to disproportionately affect young people and suggested that some student loan debt be waived.
Anita Dunn, a senior advisor to Biden’s campaign, recalled the 2008 financial crisis and said, “It’s so much bigger. And it’s so different because it covers so many different sectors. And as the disease progresses, more and more sectors will feel it. ”
“However, the things that were important in 2009 weren’t creating a false sense of hope, not getting good news about the economy, and basically saying, ‘Okay, it’s going to be great, now we’re going to turn it around. “We almost made this mistake a few times but decided against it,” said Dunn said. “So I think the first lesson for people in administration would be: don’t overdo the good news about the ongoing economic crisis for the American people. From a challenger’s perspective, we often say: Don’t exaggerate bad news. The American people are currently not interested in using their lives as political farmers. “