Toward the end of the final presidential debate, while many of us were distracted by President Donald Trump’s proclamation that he was “the least racist person in the room,” something strange happened.
Moderator Kristen Welker had steered the debate to the topic of climate change, a hugely important topic, but somewhat of a trap door for Joe Biden, since it’s sadly not an issue that most voters are weighing heavily. In fact, a recent FiveThirtyEight poll showed that only 4.9 percent of Americans see climate change as the most important issue facing the country, with Trump supporters ranking the issue as the least important of the 12 which were surveyed.
In other words, climate change is not the issue that will swing the election for Biden. Following that logic, the most politically savvy approach for Biden would likely have been to continue distancing himself from controversial policies like the Green New Deal and the banning of fracking.
And Biden sort of did this. He declared that he wouldn’t ban fracking (except on federal lands).
But after Biden shared an anecdote about the dangers of pollution to families living near oil refineries, it was Trump, not Welker, who asked the next question:
“Would you close down the oil industry?”
Though Biden chose a softer word in “transition”, his answer was yes.
He didn’t have to say that. Welker was trying to end the climate change segment and get to the final question. Biden could have easily steered the debate back to an issue more likely to help him win the White House, like the pandemic, race, or health coverage of pre-existing conditions.
Biden’s advisors probably didn’t like this “transition” answer, as it’s certainly not the one that workers in the oil industry, who could be crucial in deciding key states like Texas and Pennsylvania, wanted to hear.
That’s what made it brave.
It wasn’t the typical politician move; that would have been to pander to voters much in the way that Trump accused Biden of speaking about fracking.
This was different. Biden stood up for what he believed in, even with a stance that’s dangerously unpopular in key demographics of the electorate.
Of course, Trump immediately seized on Biden’s statement, even directly urging voters in Oklahoma, Ohio, and yes, Texas and Pennsylvania, to remember Biden’s “big statement,” as Trump referred to it.
Naturally, Biden’s responses to follow-up questions from Trump and Welker weren’t so eloquent (though he did commit to ending oil subsidies and reaching zero emissions by 2050).
And maybe Biden will regret this exchange if he loses on November 3. But he shouldn’t. This was refreshing, it was real, and America wants to hear candidates say something honest every once in a while.
It was a brief and fleeting moment, but it was a moment that should make his voters proud of him, win or lose.
Photo courtesy of Gage Skidmore/Flickr
