Biden Beat Sanders By Becoming Sanders

In fact, on issue after issue, Joseph Robinette Biden Jr. has proven himself just as radical as Bernie Sanders. He is no moderate.

On the issue of raising taxes, Biden said it is “the first thing I would do.” This echoed Sanders, who said he would raise taxes on anyone making more than $29,000.

On climate change, Biden praised the radical Green New Deal as “a crucial framework.” He promised, “I guarantee you, we’re going to end fossil fuel.” He has said he supports a “radical decarbonization” of the economy. During the most recent debate, he promised that there would be “no more ability for the oil industry to drill, period.” This means 10.3 million jobs could be wiped out overnight.

On immigration, Biden promised to end the detention of illegal immigrants “across the board,” and to not deport illegal immigrants who have committed felony-like offenses during his first 100 days. Like Bernie, Biden has promised his government health care plan will cover illegal immigrants.

When it comes to health care, Biden does not support Bernie’s Medicare for All approach, but his public option plan would devastate America’s health care market nonetheless. The public option still represents a massive government takeover of health care and cause “massive disruptions to private coverage.”

The former vice president has echoed Sanders in supporting federal funding for abortion and the repealing of the Hyde Amendment, which protects the consciences of pro-life Americans.

After Bernie called for an end to the death penalty, Biden suggested his support for such a policy, congratulating New Hampshire for abolishing it.

After Sanders ran on making college “free,” Obama’s former vice president also promised to ramp up federal funding so that students with family incomes below $125,000 could go to college or university tuition-free.

After Bernie promised to sign a bill for race-based reparations if it came across his desk as president, Biden said he would support a study to see if reparations are effective.

On the Second Amendment, Biden may prove even more radical than Bernie. After all, Sanders supported gun rights previously in his career, even though he supports a large slate of gun control measures now. Biden not only supports measures like a federal “assault weapon” ban, but he also tapped former Rep. Beto O’Rourke (D-Texas) — a former 2020 candidate notorious for promising, “Hell yes, we’re gonna take your AR-15” — to “take care of the gun problem with me.” If Uncle Joe puts the gun-grabbing Beto on the case, Americans’ Second Amendment rights are done for.

Bernie Sanders paved the way for the Democrats’ big bold socialist err, I mean progressive future in 2016, and now Joe Biden is basically indistinguishable from him.

So sure, Biden won the primary — by dressing in Bernie’s clothing. The bumbling liar is just more “electable” than the outright socialist, or so Democrats seem to think…

Tyler O’Neil is the author of Making Hate Pay: The Corruption of the Southern Poverty Law Center. Follow him on Twitter at @Tyler2ONeil.