# A Vote for Biden isn't just a Vote for Biden When you vote for someone, you vote for the other people they'll bring with them. As the 2024 election nears, there's a lot of talk about Joe Biden, his age, his policies, and the desire to have a better candidate. As [[Political Affiliation|a progressive, not a democrat]], I certainly understand that desire. Joe isn't progressive, by any means, but I have been pleasantly surprised that he has listened to the progressive wing far more than any other president before him. In 2020, Joe Biden won because people were voting *against* Trump. Democrats knew that another Trump term was not an option and although Joe isn't the nominee we wanted, we couldn't lose another election to the maniac who was *and still is* trying to tear the country apart. So, we held our noses and voted for Joe. ### **And here's why we must do it again** When we cast our vote for President of the United States, we aren't just voting for one person, we are voting for all the people they will appoint to the various offices and positions that the President fills. These positions together are perhaps even more important than the role of the President himself. Cabinet members, judicial offices, ambassadors, and more. Retaining the people in these positions is the only way to push the progressive agenda forward and prevent more damage to our society. Not only are Joe Biden's cabinet members the most diverse set we've ever had, they are also the most experienced in government work. These people know what they're doing and they represent what our nation actually looks like. A stunning 95% of his initial members had previous government experience compared to Trump's initial cabinet members where only 68% had government experience. Furthermore, 45% of his initial cabinet members are women, compared to Trump's paltry 18%. [*Source*](https://www.npr.org/sections/president-biden-takes-office/2021/02/05/963837953/biden-pledged-historic-cabinet-diversity-heres-how-his-nominees-stack-up) ### **So, let me ask you this...** Do you want **Dr. Janet Yellen**, Secretary of the Treasury, the woman who stretched every dollar she could to avoid the Republican-manufactured near-default on the US debt, or do you want Hollywood movie producer **Steve Mnuchin**, the guy that used the United States Air Force to watch the 2017 solar eclipse in Kentucky and also wanted to use it for his honeymoon? Would you rather have **Dr. Miguel Cardona**, Secretary of Education, who has 20 years of experience and began his career as a 4th grade teacher, or someone like **Betsy DeVos** who has no education experience and thinks that public tax dollars should fund private schools? And this one seems pretty straightforward, so I'm just going to throw out the names...do you want **Merrick Garland** or someone like **Bill Barr** as the Attorney General? ### **Can America even survive another Trump presidency?** Since Trump left office (unwillingly) we've seen the Right take a turn for the worse. They've become a completely Totalitarian party that demands that we do things their way. Yes, it started back when Obama was in office and they stole that first Supreme Court seat, but the Trump era has emboldened them. They've stripped women of the right to choose. They've taken parent's rights away to decide the best health care for their children. They've banned LGBTQIA+ and other books they don't agree with including those written about Black history, Native American history, and American history that makes them feel uncomfortable. They've held our economy hostage in an attempt to re-legislate the laws that were passed when they had no power. They've declared war on religious freedom with laws trying to put the Ten Commandments in schools, diverting public funds to help pay for private schools (many of which are faith-based) or worse, allowing chaplains to take the place of school counselors without even limiting their ability to indoctrinate children with their religious beliefs. And most importantly, they've embraced blatant lies, including **THE BIG LIE** and used those lies to instill fear in their supporters and in-turn have turned American citizens against each other. **If Trump is elected again, this assault on our freedoms and on our democracy will escalate. So, I beg you. If you can't vote for Joe Biden, vote for the people he brings with him.**