Joe Biden asked America how many of us “have an empty chair” at home because of loved ones who have lost their lives to coronavirus. Without a straightforward and convincing plan for how he would have handled things differently — which I have yet to hear so far — Biden is guilty of emotional blackmail; “Vote Biden, or there will be more!” It’s a gross tactic that reminds me of the girl at the Democratic Convention who accused Trump of killing her father.
Trump has undoubtedly failed in his rhetorical leadership to some extent during the pandemic, but there’s still something galling about this particular attack. Biden’s running a character-focused campaign with an emphasis on empathy, but this appeal exemplified a fake, self-serving kind of empathy.