From the outside: 2020’s Presidential Election from the eyes of a non-American

We’re in the middle of pandemic, and there’s a U.S. presidential election coming in a few months. This is a take on the political circuit from the eyes of a non-American.

No matter where you look, the United States presidential election is in the news on a daily basis. As someone who is not only Australian, but has been voting since the age of 18 (which is the legal age Down Under), politics quite honestly bore me. All they ever consist of is people throwing insults at each other for “not doing their jobs.” As annoying it is, I still can’t resist watching how petty politicians can be.

That is what drew me to watch the nightmare that was the 2016 election, which saw businessman Donald J. Trump become Barack Obama’s successor as the 45th President of the United States. That made me lose even more faith in the politics. Republican supporters had just voted in a self-righteous man who still treats his presidency like yet another business venture.

The man might be worth $2.1 billion, but that doesn’t mean he knows a thing about how to run a country. Sure, he’s run countless businesses, but a country is totally different story. I’m not going to go into the whole “how to run a nation” speel, as I’ve never done it, so I can’t really judge. However, with the state of the world at the moment, it’s been disheartening to see America lose so many lives.

Trump’s overconfidence and lack of empathy has seen him come off as cold. He insists the death rate in America is not his fault and has been giving other nations grief despite their fatality rates being low. One example of this is a recent criticism he has made against New Zealand. According to news outlet NPR, New Zealand Prime Minster Jacinda Ardern has fired back at claims made by the POTUS that the Commonwealth country, which has just recorded nine new cases — versus the 42,000 in the U.S. — is struggling to keep the virus at bay.

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Seriously? He’s a good one to talk about case numbers. He’s only making people panic more than they already are. Prime Minister Ardern knows how to keep her people safe. She is compassionate and doesn’t use her power as a leader to belittle and bully people — and she listens to her advisors.

Going Into the 2020 Presidential Election

Trump is over-confident in his ability to win a second term. He insults everyone who is a threat to his chance of getting another four years in the Oval Office. He even calls Joe Biden, his presidential rival, “Sleepy Joe” and a whole host of other things.

While I might be apolitical, I am enjoying how the president’s niece. Mary L. Trump has published a tell-all book on her famous family. Even she doesn’t like what her uncle is doing to America.

Biden is a far better candidate in this presidential race, alongside Kamala Harris as his running mate. Both are family-oriented and know how to appeal to people. Biden was also vice president to Barack Obama, so he knows how the Oval Office works.

Family Means Different Things

While doing research for this election-inspired piece, I remembered something I saw a while back. Remember when I said earlier that Trump treats his presidency like another business venture? Well, I recall seeing a photo that surfaced during the 2016 race to the White House. The image was of a smiling Donald sitting on a lavish chair in what looked like a penthouse apartment. His wife, Melania, the now first lady, posed like a runway model next to him. Across the room is their son, Barron who was then a little boy sitting atop a large plush lion. At the time the image was discovered, many believed it was fake until it showed up on Getty images. I found it Snopes.

The photo in question was taken in 2010 as part of a collection called “Melania, Donald, and Barron Trump at Home Shoot” and was taken by Regine Mahaux. Now, I don’t know about anyone else, but I feel like many of the photos in the album look like promo material for a reality television show. Honestly, it looks the Trumps — or, at least, the ones in the photo — are not even a family.

When I see photos of Barack and Michelle Obama embracing not just each other, but their two daughters as well, I see a genuine family unit. Just the other day, I saw an article by People Magazine about Kamala Harris officially announcing that she had agreed to be Biden’s running mate, there was a mention of her sister, niece, and stepdaughter announcing her.

There was another article by People Magazine where it was mentioned that Biden’s children introduced him. There was also a nice nod to the late Beau Biden, who died a few years ago. This is what we call family unity. Remembering a late family member by including them.

When I watched the videos, I teared up. It was lovely to see that two Presidential hopefuls could get such loving praise from their families. I wish Joe and Kamala luck on their road to the White House.

What are your thoughts on the current United States election? Tell us in the comments below!