(VOVWORLD) - On Monday, a few days after the national convention of the Democratic Party ended, the Republican Party kicked off its own nominating convention. Both parties claim to be the only party that can resolve the US’s many problems.
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Joe Biden accepts the Democratic presidential nomination 2020 (Photo: AP)
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The nominating conventions are the most prominent opportunities for the parties to convince voters that their nominee is the best choice.
A message for democracy and for the US
The Democratic convention emphasized messages of vision, democracy, and unity. In his speech accepting the Democratic presidential nomination, Joe Biden said that if voters entrust him with the presidency, he will draw on the best of them, not the worst. He promised to stand by the people who are building the US, to protect American values, and to heal national divisions. Biden’s promises to stand by workers and protect American values are key planks of the Democratic platform. Other Democratic politicians echoed the same message to voters of many sectors and social strata.
With President Donald Trump scheduled to accept the Republican presidential nomination on Thursday, his campaign team unveiled an agenda for his second term. With the slogan “The Courage to Fight for America”, his agenda names priorities which differ from those of the Democratic Party. Trump promises to end the COVID-19 pandemic, generate jobs, end the US’s dependence on China, reduce drug prices, expand options for schooling, and protect the police. The agenda for his second term appears to be to stay on course rather than make new promises. Trump said he will elaborate his program at the conclusion of the Republican convention.
Current challenges
The US has been the country hardest hit by the COVID-19 pandemic, with nearly 6 million infections and more than 180,000 deaths. Both nominees promise to reduce unemployment, support workers, and contain the pandemic, the US’s most difficult challenges right now.
An IMF report on July 17 said the US economy in the second quarter shrank 37% compared to the same period last year. This represents an annualized loss of 6.6% due to COVID-19.
The pandemic has ended the US’s longest period of economic growth and constitutes a grave threat to the US economy, causing massive unemployment and economic losses. The American economy regained 1.8 million jobs in July, well below the 4.8 million jobs regained in June, according to a report by the US Department of Labor.