What does former U.S. Vice President Joe Biden have to do to get elected? Some observers say as little as possible: Just let President Donald Trump keep talking, tweeting, and blundering, and Biden can coast to the White House without doing much on his own. I disagree, in part because the Electoral College helps Trump, but also because Trump has an important asset that the Democrats ignore at their peril: the power of nationalism. It is the same power that U.S. leaders have relied upon and nurtured since the country was founded, although the coming of the unipolar moment led elites to think that nationalism was a fading force. Many believed that was all for the good, as it was widely considered a malign feature of both domestic and international politics.
This view is wrong. Nationalism remains a remarkably powerful ideology, and the United States cannot survive without it. Indeed, much of Trump’s appeal to voters is due to his advocacy of U.S. nationalism. If Biden wants to win in November, he should embrace nationalism while reaffirming liberal values. They are an election-winning combination. In essence, he needs to talk less about “partnership” and “leadership” on the global stage, and more about patriotism and national unity. In addition to building a rainbow coalition, Biden should wrap himself in the red, white, and blue. These are mutually reinforcing goals.
