The Spectator

A Biden victory would be no great boon for Britain

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issue 31 October 2020

It is remarkably uncommon for a US president to fail to be re-elected. It has happened just twice in the long lifetime of Joe Biden: with Jimmy Carter in 1980 and George H.W. Bush in 1992. On Tuesday, however, it looks likely that it will happen again. It is not just that Donald Trump is trailing badly and consistently in the national polls — he was behind in 2016 but won nonetheless — it is that his support seems to be draining most in his own heartlands. Biden appears to be well ahead in industrial ‘rustbelt’ states like Michigan and Wisconsin where Trump’s protectionist message gave him victory four years ago.

There is little question that a Biden victory would be popular in Britain — as it would in many countries. For many, the four years of Trump have been a horror show which, angry tweet by angry tweet, has reduced America’s standing in the world.

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