Former Vice President Joe Biden, declaring his candidacy for the Democrat presidential nomination, stated emphatically that the 2020 election is a “A battle for the soul of the country.”

Uncle Joe has had a few memorable lines over the years, but none so profound and important as that concerning America’s soul.

However, he did recently say this in answer to a reporter’s question: “America’s coming back like it used to be.” Sounds a lot like “Make America Great Again,” doesn’t it?

For us seasoned citizens who know and love America’s foundational principles, the crazy, un-American concepts that have become major talking points of the Left have transformed the DNC into the gift that keeps on giving.

The Democrats’ wild ideas comprise the best collection of crazy ideas yet developed by American politicos, and it is a work in progress.

— Bernie Sanders thinks that people in prison for felonies — including murder, rape, terrorism, etc. — should retain their rights, including the right to vote, even as they are still paying their voluminous debt to society.

— Sen. Elizabeth Warren (MA) has proposed a student loan forgiveness plan that could benefit tens of millions of Americans and also provide “free college” for all. She must be unaware of what the growth of student financial aid has done to help increase the cost of higher education.

According to collegeboard.org, the price of private nonprofit colleges and public two-year schools has doubled, and the cost of public four-year institutions has tripled over the last few decades. Universal “free college” would cost the nation $1.25 trillion over just the next decade.

— Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (CA) thinks the voting age, now 18 years old, needs to be lowered to 16 “to capture kids when they’re in high school." What would prompt her to want to give those still in school the right to vote? Perhaps it’s because about half of the current crop of adolescents — those no longer children but not quite adults — say they would prefer living in a socialist country, according to a Harris Poll.

And why do they believe this? They have not learned American History or Civics while in school. But they should vote?

— Did you know that in February, all six of the then-declared candidates for the Democrat nomination for president voted against the Born-Alive Protection Act that would protect the life of newborns? From National Review: "All six of the Democratic senators currently running for the 2020 presidential nomination voted against the bill: Cory Booker (N.J.), Sherrod Brown (Ohio), Kirsten Gillibrand (N.Y.), Kamala Harris (CA), Amy Klobuchar (MN), and Elizabeth Warren (MA), along with Independent Bernie Sanders of Vermont.”

— Robert Francis O'Rourke, who answers to the name “Beto,” claimed that if the American people are not able to view the Mueller report on Russian interference in the 2016 election, it could mean the end of the country.

“This is an unprecedented attack on this country and on our democracy, and we are owed the facts,” he bellowed. “And if we do not receive them, 243 years in, there’s nothing that guarantees us a 244th.”

“For this democracy to succeed, people must put our country before their party, the next election, the approval of the president,” he added. “What matters now is the future of the United States.” Well, he got one thing right.

— Illinois Rep. Dianne Pappas, a Democrat from Itasca, believes castrating men would help the problem of abortion. She made the suggestion not once, but twice in recent meetings. If men were unable to “cause” pregnancy, there would be fewer abortions. Really?

— Other similarly crazy ideas include but are not limited to: a “living wage” government job for everyone; trashing the protections for small states from the tyranny of a big-state majority by eliminating the Electoral College; doing away with coal, oil, and natural gas use within 10 years; open borders; sanctuary jurisdictions; and federal aid for illegals.

We all know America is not perfect, and the perpetually disaffected among us constantly remind us of what they think is wrong with it. But America has a long world-leading list of accomplishments, including being the most free nation on Earth. Ever.

What made America great the first time largely consisted of not doing crazy things like the current bevy of Democrat “progressives” want to do.

The American Family Association recently sent out a mailing that included AFA President Tim Wildman’s “6 reasons why America is worth saving.” Among those reasons: “The U.S. is the most generous and merciful nation ever;” “Peaceful change is always possible because it is build into our system;” and “Americans are free to pursue their economic dreams.”

America’s soul is not at risk, so long as we stick to the things that made it great and reject these crazy so-called “progressive” ideas.