Pandemic could lead to paradigm shift

America’s young Democrats need not worry: A revolution is still coming. Or at least a paradigm shift. And thanks to covid-19, it may be sooner than we think.

Good thing their likely candidate is a 77-year-old who’s prone to act like, well, a 77-year-old. Democrats chose him because he was their safest bet at the time, and he may still be. Back in pre-covid days, there was little need for the other candidates and their crazy ideas for a better world.

Who needs Elizabeth Warren’s multitude of plans? As has been made obvious, plans are so over-rated. Better to under-prepare and fly by the seat of your pants. It’s so much more entertaining for live TV. 

Who needs Bernie Sanders’s universal healthcare? Most Americans have their own private healthcare, thank you very much. Just don’t lose your job, and hope for no major health crisis.

Who needs an articulate, rational leader like Pete Buttigieg? A calming presence to bring a country together is the last thing people need. Better to rip the country apart with racist rants, and offer crazy suggestions like injecting people with Lysol. 

Who needs a universal basic income, as self-proclaimed math geek, Andrew Yang, proposed? Hard to imagine a time when a social safety net would be needed. As we know, households are fit to weather any storm, with so little debt. And the Millennials will be fine... so long as they continue to live with their parents. 

Back in February, most thought these proposals would amount to nothing, especially as election material. And it’s true that no one wants to read through a Warrenesque manifesto before entering the voting booth. They want to vote with their gut. 

The question becomes, will their gut have had enough of Trump by November, particularly as the virus spreads and flu season begins. Maybe by then real panic will have set in, along with the realization that the federal government has a role to play.

Democrats could’ve benefited from a fresh face with new ideas, especially in these uncharted waters. For now, they have an older white man who struggles to do Skype news conferences from his basement. He’s likeable, true, but he also couldn’t attract a crowd in the best of times. 

Of course that doesn't matter these days. There won’t be any crowds this election anyway. Biden will likely continue to lead from his basement. 

It’s the new normal, and it suits him just fine.