Remember, let’s be polite; let’s be respectful, but most of all, let’s be outspoken.
On November 7th, 2020, Joseph Robinette Biden Jr. was elected to become the 46th president of the United States. Former Vice President Biden became the president-elect, winning the necessary 270 electoral votes when Pennsylvania went blue. Junior California Senator Kamala Harris became the vice president-elect, making her the first female, Asian-American, and African-American vice president.
Biden said in a prepared statement, “In the face of unprecedented obstacles, a record number of Americans voted. Proving once again, that democracy beats deep in the heart of America. With the campaign over, it’s time to put the anger and the harsh rhetoric behind us and come together as a nation.”
President Trump will presumptively become the first single term US president since President George Herbert Walker Bush, who was president in the early 1990s. The president, however, has signaled that he will bring forth litigation to fight the results of the election.
The Trump team will need an indisputable amount of evidence suggesting Biden won the election because of voter fraud and illegal ballots. If he can prove the election was illegally and unfairly conducted, then Trump may have a chance at re-election. With a team of lawyers on stand by, the nation should prepare for a war with legal precedent and jurisprudence.
Yet, until that legal fight, Mr. Biden remains the president-elect.
It is an expected, yet thought-provoking day.
For the past few months, the polls and the media have predicted a Biden win. In the election, nearly 75 million people voted for a Biden presidency or to remove Trump, and nearly 71 million people voted for a Trump second term. The nation is seemingly divided and bifurcated because we have allowed modern politics to dictate even the most menial aspects of our lives and our overall opinion of each other.
While I have never endorsed the Biden campaign, I sincerely hope the president-elect is successful in bridging such a fragile connection between the two parties, beginning with a compromise with the other party. Currently, it is assumed that Biden is forming his government, most notably a presidential cabinet and team of advisors. In doing so, it is imperative Biden reaches across the aisle and appoint candidates that will not further the partisanship in this political atmosphere, a person of notable qualifications and a striking bipartisan demeanor.
This means Biden should refrain from appointing perceived political radicals to extremely powerful federal positions because it would only advance such a tumultuous divide.
Right now, it is projected the Republicans will maintain a majority in the Senate and the Supreme Court, which means, for productivity on pressing issues like climate breakdown to occur, there has to be a willingness to compromise with the opposition. Granted, Senate Majority Leader McConnell may very well be an extremely partisan figure, but if President-elect Biden is willing to appoint republican approved members to his cabinet, then we can slowly inch toward a return to normalcy.
While this sentiment is seemingly baseless and optimistic, given the already cemented division in our political system, it is the only way I can see Biden and Republican Congressional leaders reaching an agreement on how we can tackle one issue at a time.
This presidential election may be over, but the war on the issues that impact all Americans is advancing.
It is also imperative that a Biden administration strictly defines the political identity of the democratic party. Since the beginning of his campaign, Biden has painted himself as a “bulwark for moderation,” especially after creating an alternative plan of a government public option to Senator Sander’s proposed nationalization of healthcare.
Yet, given the liberal political leaning of Vice President-Elect Harris and the growing progressive movement within the democratic party, it is understandable to be skeptical of Biden’s ability to stand as a barrier to radical economic progressivism. It is also not reassuring when Sanders says Biden will be the “most progressive president” in US history.
Biden must understand that radicalism from his own party will decrease his own appeal and political strength in Congress.
For people who share a like-minded political ideology of conservatism or libertarianism, I would argue that nothing productive will amount from a constant refusal of these election results. Today is a striking blow to the conservative movement, but our movement has and will always respect the peaceful transition of power and wishes of the next president’s success.
Needless to say, I was drastically conflicted within this election because both candidates did not seem like they could be adequate presidents. However, despite any mixed emotions of this day, we should celebrate the continuation of a democratic process and the eventual success that may result from a Biden presidency.
International affairs, domestic threats, climate breakdown, economy, racial justice, and other pressing issues will be the priority of a Biden administration. His leadership will be tested, his political intuition will be challenged, his ability to unify will be questioned, and his capacity to fight for the preservation of this republic will be observed. The world is anxiously watching for your first move, Mr. President-elect.
Remember, let’s be polite; let’s be respectful, but most of all, let’s be outspoken.
Be First to Comment