Joe Biden already sounds as if he's the president

Speaking from Wilmington, Del., without an audience, former vice president Joe Biden demonstrated what a president should sound like and do in the midst of a pandemic. He was calm, forceful and direct. He had a detailed plan to offer. And most of all, he showed compassion for those afflicted — something President Trump seems incapable of doing — and made clear we are all in this together. “It will infect Republicans, independents and Democrats alike,” Biden said. “It will touch people in positions in power, as well as the most vulnerable in our society.” He added, “The coronavirus does not discriminate based on national origin, race, gender, or Zip code.”

The contrast with Trump’s inept performance Wednesday night was breathtaking. Biden rebuked Trump for xenophobia and blame-casting. “Neither should we panic or fall back on xenophobia,” he said. “Labeling covid-19 a ‘foreign virus’ does not displace accountability for the misjudgments that have been taken thus far by the Trump administration. Let me be crystal clear: The coronavirus does not have a political affiliation.”

He made clear that the White House had dropped the ball, pointing to its failure to test Americans on a massive scale. “The administration’s failure on testing is colossal, and it’s a failure of planning, leadership and execution,” Biden said. “By next week, the number of tests should be in the millions, not the thousands.”

Most important, he laid out a detailed plan both in his speech and in writing, displaying a mastery of the topic and of government light-years beyond anything the White House has devised.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2020/03/12/joe-biden-already-sounds-if-hes-president/