President Joe Biden has kicked off his re-election campaign with a controversial assertion that he and the Democrats are the protectors of freedom and democracy, while the Republicans are anti-democratic authoritarians.
In an ad, Biden claimed, “Personal freedom is fundamental to who we are as Americans,” but the visuals accompanying the ad, such as “Abortion Is Health Care,” “Love Is Love,” and the “Everytown Survivors Network” for gun control, have been criticized as misleading.
Biden accuses all Republicans of being “MAGA extremists” who hate freedom, claiming they are lining up to take on bedrock freedoms such as Social Security, cutting taxes for the wealthy, dictating health decisions for women, banning books, and making it harder to vote. While the claim that Republicans are cutting Social Security is often repeated by Democrats, PolitiFact has pointed out that it is not entirely accurate, and entitlement programs cannot be classified as freedoms.
Biden also accuses Republicans of banning books without clearly defining the terms. While parents have been objecting to books with sexually explicit or pornographic content in public school libraries, the ad’s message of “Books Unite Us, Censorship Divides Us” does not seem to address this issue. Instead, the message appears to promote the libertine Left’s “sex-positive” books, which are seen as divisive by some.
The Democrats have also been criticized for their censorship of dissenting voices online through their allied “fact checkers” to combat “misinformation.” While claiming to save democracy, they are accused of squelching opposition.
Biden’s accusation that the “MAGA” folks are “telling people who they can love” is misleading, as the LGBTQ debate is currently focused on Democrats’ push for “gender-affirming care” for children and biological males competing with girls in sports.
Biden’s claim that Republicans are making it harder to vote has also been disputed. Requiring voters to present a photo ID at the polls is supported by 79% of Americans, so it is unclear why the Democrats would oppose this idea.
Biden has faced criticism for his hypocrisy in claiming that America is a country that believes in honesty, respect, and treating each other with dignity while also accusing Republicans of being “Jim Crow 2.0.” This accusation has been widely disregarded by fact-checkers.
Biden’s claims of being a “devout Catholic” have also been questioned as his agenda goes against traditional religious values on pro-abortion and LGBTQ issues. Furthermore, his Justice Department is said to be considering infiltrating Catholic churches to search for “racially or ethnically motivated violent extremists.”
The press has also been accused of distorting Biden’s message, with NPR reporter Scott Detrow suggesting that Biden believes most voters want the government to “get things done.” However, Democrats are seen as the instigators of a “hyper-politicized culture-war climate” with media networks like NPR promoting the leftist side of the culture war while ignoring or demonizing the opposition.
WATCH THE AD:
Every generation has a moment where they have had to stand up for democracy. To stand up for their fundamental freedoms. I believe this is ours.
That’s why I’m running for reelection as President of the United States. Join us. Let’s finish the job. https://t.co/V9Mzpw8Sqy pic.twitter.com/Y4NXR6B8ly
— Joe Biden (@JoeBiden) April 25, 2023
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