But today (November 20), Biden is officially 78 years old. This also means that if Biden successfully enters the White House in January next year, he will set the record for the oldest president in American history.
There are many things that Biden deserves to celebrate recently: just 12 days ago, the US media predicted that he would defeat the incumbent President Trump and, without accident, would become the 46th President of the United States; although Trump has not yet admitted defeat, and Legal challenges have been launched in many states, but at present, all legal challenges have no obvious effect-just one day before Biden's birthday, Georgia's recount results show that Biden is still ahead of Trump.
Former US President Barack Obama has previously revealed that ice cream is one of Biden's favorite foods. In October of this year, when Biden wished his running partner Harris a happy 58th birthday, he said that the two could "celebrate together with ice cream in the White House" next year, which directly demonstrated their confidence in becoming the White House. In 2021, can Biden and Harris celebrate with ice cream together at the White House?
and the "bound" life of politics
On November 20, 1942, Joe Biden was born in Scranton, Pennsylvania, USA. But when he was 10 years old, the Biden family moved to Delaware, where he has been studying and living ever since. In 1965, Biden received a double degree in history and political science from the University of Delaware. In 1968, he studied for a doctorate in law at Syracuse University.
Biden had a stuttering problem when he was a child, so he was often laughed at by his peers. However, according to US media reports, he finally overcame the language barrier by talking to the street lamp and other efforts, which cleared the obstacles for his future career in politics.
In fact, Biden's life is almost tied to politics. In 1970, Biden entered politics and two years later became one of the youngest senators in American history. After that, Biden was re-elected to the Senate several times, and in 2009 became the 47th Vice President of the United States.
Biden and wife Jill. / Picture from Biden's Twitter
In the 50 years since he was in politics, Biden has run for the president of the United States three times. In 1988, he participated in the presidential primaries for the first time, and retired because he was exposed to plagiarism from celebrity speeches. In 2008, he ran for the second time. Under the fierce competition between Obama and Hillary, Biden withdrew from the election again. . 2020 is his third time running for the president of the United States. This time, although the final result still needs to be voted by the Electoral College and confirmed by Congress, the US media generally predicts that he has won the election.
Although there are twists and turns in politics, it is still smooth, but Biden has encountered many "distressed moments" in his life. In 1972, shortly after 29-year-old Biden was elected to the Senate, his first wife and youngest daughter were killed in a car accident, and his two sons were also seriously injured. Unbearable, he considered giving up the Senate position, but with the support of his family and political circles, he was sworn in before his son’s bed. After that, he took a one-and-a-half hour train commute from Delaware to Washington, DC. To see his young sons, this also won him the praise of "Amtrak Joe". In 2015, Biden's eldest son Bo Biden, who was only 46 years old, died of brain cancer. Biden, in pain, even gave up participating in the 2016 presidential election.
Currently, in addition to the second son Hunter Biden left behind by the first wife, Biden and his second wife Jill also have a daughter Ashley Biden.
The oldest "president-elect"
has been one of the hot topics since he announced his candidacy. Until he became the oldest "president-elect" near his 78th birthday, the debate about his age after taking office became more intense.
According to the Washington Post, Biden’s term of office will not end until 82 years old if he successfully takes office, so he has a special responsibility to confess his health. Last year, Biden's campaign team published a three-page doctor's statement about his health. Biden's health problems include high cholesterol, acid reflux, seasonal allergies and non-valvular ventricular fibrillation. The latter is an irregular heart rhythm, but "completely asymptomatic" and does not require treatment.
The Biden health report released by the Biden team last year. The
description briefly lists Biden’s 1988 repair of cerebral aneurysm bleedingThe surgery done. A scan in 2014 showed "no recurrence" of the disease. He has "removed several localized non-melanoma skin cancers" and is currently undergoing "close dermatological surveillance." The
note also wrote that the "recent" echocardiogram showed that he had "no signs of heart failure." Biden doesn't drink alcohol and "exercises at least five days a week." The doctor concluded that Biden "is a healthy and energetic 77-year-old man suitable for the duties of president." As the oldest "president-elect" in history, in addition to physical health, Biden's cognitive status has also become the focus of attention. The Washington Post reported that Biden expressed anger over this issue, saying that he was "often tested" during the campaign. The report compared Biden's speeches in 2012 and 2020, pointing out that Biden was aggressive and confident in 2012, but he seemed more hesitant in 2020 and sometimes even slower to react.
Obstructed presidential power transfer
Since the Associated Press and other media reported on November 7 that Biden won the 2020 US presidential election, the presidential power transition has been deadlocked. The current President Trump has consistently refused to admit defeat and filed lawsuits in multiple states in an attempt to reverse the results. The Trump Administration's failure to confirm Biden's victory in the election also led to the inability of the Biden team to successfully carry out the handover.
According to the New York Times, the Trump campaign began to raise various legal challenges while the vote counting was still going on, but now half a month has passed, and most of these lawsuits are just a feather. According to reports, only three of Trump's more important lawsuits across the United States have received support from judges, and another seven are being searched for evidence. The rest of the lawsuits were dismissed by the judge for insufficient evidence. There are also reports that the Trump team will abandon the lawsuit in Michigan.
But regardless of the lawsuit, Biden's work to form a new government has not stopped. On November 8, the Biden team established a transition website.” On November 9, Biden formed a 13-member COVID-19 working group, and made fighting the epidemic a top priority for his new government. November 10 On November 11, Biden’s team announced a list of nearly 500 institutional review teams that are responsible for evaluating the operation of federal agencies and contacting current government officials and related experts. On November 11, Biden announced the appointment of his long-term aide and senior Democratic Party Official Klein serves as the White House Chief of Staff. On November 17, Biden announced the appointment of nine campaign assistants to key White House positions.
"President-elect" Biden at work. / Picture from Biden's Twitter
Republican boss Praising
in Trump’s nearly four years as President of the United States, the evaluation of him from all walks of life is obvious. People who like him firmly support him, and those who dislike him strongly oppose him. The analysis believes that to some extent This also reflects the severity of the tear in American society.
But Biden, who may become Trump’s successor, is different. As a moderate centrist, Biden has repeatedly stated that he will not become the president of a certain party. He will become the “President of the American people.” During the election campaign and after his victory, he repeatedly emphasized the need to “cure the United States” and bridge differences. The Washington Post commented that Biden did not demean and disparage like Trump. Demonizing opponents and allies, but firmly committed to finding common ground in his work so that the government can serve as many people as possible. He has reached partial agreement with cross-party people and Republicans, and without compromising his basic beliefs Bring unity to the Democrats.
In 2017, when John McCain, a surviving Republican heavyweight and senior senator, received the Medal of Freedom at the National Constitution Center, he invited Biden to give a speech. When evaluating Biden, McKay En said: "We do not always agree on some issues. We quarrel often, sometimes fiercely. But we believe in the patriotism of each other and the sincerity of each other's beliefs. "He said: "We believe that we have a common responsibility to help this place return to normal operation, and cooperate to find solutions to problems. "Z1z
Another Republican leader and the 2012 Republican presidential candidate Romney sent a tweet to Biden and Harris to congratulate him after the US media announced Biden's victory. "We know that they are both kind." People have an admirable character. On the same day, in an interview with CNN's "State of the Union", he called on Americans to "support" President-elect Joe Biden.
Within the Democratic Party, senior Senator Sanders is considered a representative of extreme leftism, and he and Biden also have different opinions on many issues. However, Sanders, who lost to Biden in the primary election, chose to support Biden, saying that "all of us must unite and work together" to defeat "the most dangerous president in modern American history."
Of course, Obama obviously has a more say in Biden, who has been his deputy for eight years. In his newly published memoir "The Promised Land", Obama praised Biden for "has a kind heart, decent, honest, and loyal." The friendship between the two is also quite deep. In 2017, Obama suddenly awarded Biden the Presidential Medal of Freedom before leaving office. He praised Biden as the "best vice president in the history of the United States" and "the lion in the history of the United States." The praise made Biden moved to tears on the spot.
In 2017, Biden wished Obama a happy birthday.
Obama and Biden’s birthday interaction is also very loving. According to ABC reports, on Obama’s 55th birthday, Biden tweeted a blessing with a picture with a bracelet with the names of the two; on Biden’s 66th birthday in 2008, Obama hosted a birthday banquet for Biden at the White House. I lit the candle myself, and then led a group of staff around Biden to sing a birthday song.
In 2016, Obama wished Biden a happy birthday.
Dialogue with Yang Nan, assistant researcher at the Institute of American Studies, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences:
Biden is recognized as a moderate, but he should take a calm and objective attitude towards his new government
Beijing News: How do you evaluate Biden?
Yang Nan: Biden is a traditional Democrat and one of the few politicians with extensive experience in foreign affairs. He served as a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee for many years, and as a vice president, he was deeply involved in the foreign strategy and policy planning of the Obama administration. As an ordinary but moderate politician, Biden’s policy framework is highly similar to that of Obama, advocating to increase spending, weaken the deficit, and defend and maintain relations with allies externally.
Biden is good at uniting partners and has a good reputation in the party. Because of this, its campaign team was able to gather strength very early to build a "talent network" of more than 2,000 people. However, it is worth noting that before the election, in order to be able to break through the “ultra-left” forces such as Sanders and Warren, Biden embodied the characteristics of the ultra-left in certain expressions, such as advocating wealth for the United States. Human class restrictions and so on.
Beijing News: What is Biden's most important task at present?
Yang Nan: For Biden, if the transfer of power can be successfully achieved, then its most important task is undoubtedly to deal with the deteriorating new crown epidemic in the United States and work hard to restore the order of life in American society. In addition to advancing the epidemic prevention policy in an orderly, scientific and systematic manner, the outside world also expects his government to quickly resume and promote cooperation with China in the fight against the epidemic.
At the same time, making up for the "social schism" caused by party disputes, general elections and Trump's tenure will also be a key task on Biden's administration agenda. In addition, during the transitional government and the early days of his administration, Biden will re-establish a national security decision-making mechanism that is completely different from the Trump administration, and conduct a large-scale personnel exchange for the national security affairs team.
Beijing News: If Biden succeeds in coming to power, what will be his ruling style?
Yang Nan: As an "veteran" of American foreign policy, Biden is well aware of the importance of the liberal international system under the leadership of the United States, and there is also an impetus to repair the currently severely damaged Sino-US relations. However, despite being recognized as a moderate within the Democratic Party, the new government under its leadership should remain calm and objective.
Biden is currently 78 years old and will become the oldest president in American history if he enters the White House next year. Before the election, the right-wing media in the United States and Trump himself frequently questioned and attacked his physical condition. Biden also showed his lack of energy in public on many occasions. If this is true, it may lead to "responsibility subcontracting" when dealing with specific issues, relying on "returning" establishment personnel and "recovering" formal decision-making mechanisms to handle national security and foreign affairs.
On the one hand, this will reduce the ambiguity and uncertainty of US foreign policymaking during the Trump administration; on the other hand,This will also allow the United States to return to its China perspective under the old liberal internationalist strategic framework, which is to unite its allies to pressure its competitors and re-emphasize the importance of international rules and international organizations in its China policy. Therefore, if Biden is able to govern smoothly in the end, the U.S. decision-making on China promoted by him in the future may be a mixture of his personal and "agent" wills.
Beijing News: What is the difference between the Biden era and the Trump era?
Yang Nan: If Biden successfully governs, he will repair the "damaged" decision-making mechanism during the Trump administration. First of all, the Biden administration will pay more attention to "procedural justice" and tend to use formal decision-making mechanisms to deal with related issues and build an organizational system with "clear powers and responsibilities".
Second, the Biden administration will focus on brainstorming, restoring the National Security Council's coordinating position in the US national security and foreign policy decision-making mechanism, and attach importance to the role of the national security adviser as an inter-agency "mediator" rather than a "defender" of presidential policy. Finally, the Biden administration will downplay "individualism", instigate more technocrats to integrate into the decision-making process, and drive more personnel with professional backgrounds and practical experience to return to the White House.
text/Xie Lian
intern Qin Hanjie
