One of the tropes of the election is that Biden will bring sweetness and light to the White House, in stark contrast to Trump's extraordinary meanness.  And it is true that Trump is often mean.  If you're a powerful person who strikes at him, Trump will come back with a vengeance (especially if you're John Bolton).  However, Trump is never mean to ordinary people.  Joe Biden, by contrast, is chronically and horribly nasty to ordinary men and women who get in his way.

Think about this: has Trump ever insulted an ordinary American?  I can't think of any time he's done that.  Instead, Trump attacks only the powerful, and he attacks them only if they've aimed a blow at him first.  My favorite of Trump's recent scathing denunciations is the insult he leveled at the execrable John Bolton:

John Bolton was one of the dumbest people in government that I’ve had the “pleasure” to work with. A sullen, dull and quiet guy, he added nothing to National Security except, “Gee, let’s go to war.” Also, illegally released much Classified Information. A real dope!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 15, 2020

When I consider the extraordinary vindictiveness that Bolton directed at Trump, I smile every time I read that tweet.  Trump has been mean to powerful people who betrayed him, including Rex Tillerson and John Kelly.  His message is clear: if you betray him, he will punch back twice as hard.  But again, Trump will not personally insult ordinary people, even those who are mean to or about him.  (And no, Trump did not crudely imitate a physically impaired reporter.  That's long been debunked.)

It's quite different with Joe Biden.  While he's happy enough to fawn over and grovel before powerful people, Biden is an unusually nasty man when he feels that ordinary people have failed to respect him.  Herewith a collection of just how vicious "Mr. Unity" really is. 

Just today, Biden vented his spleen at a reporter from the mainstream media:

Asked Biden if he will encourage teacher unions to cooperate to get kids back in school because the COVID task force said it is safe to be in the classroom. He didn't answer.

“Why are you the only guy that always shouts out questions?” he said. pic.twitter.com/x2DsG5Fmgo

— Bo Erickson CBS (@BoKnowsNews) November 20, 2020

And then there are his routine attacks, not even against media figures who have some power, but against every day people, a pattern that goes back decades:

Trump, in his own way, is like a noble gentleman of old: a strong, secure man himself, he will defend the weak and fight those who are both wicked and powerful.  Biden, on the other hand, is a small, weak person.  Like so many of that stature, he makes himself larger in his own eyes by associating with the powerful and bullying the weak.

Image: Biden yelling.  Creative Commons.