What Do We Do Now?
By Andy Horrigan ’23
When I began writing this piece, networks called the state of Pennsylvania for Joe Biden, and the Democrats declared victory in the 2020 presidential race. This campaign has been historic: Joe Biden has received more votes than any other candidate in history. Come Jan. 20, 2021, Biden will take his oath of office and become the 46th president of the United States.
Though the race was called earlier, the outstanding states of Georgia, North Carolina and Alaska went for Biden, Trump, and Trump, respectively. These developments have officially concluded the race as a 306-232 victory for Vice President, and now President-elect, Biden. President Donald Trump has yet to concede to Biden, claiming that the election was fraudulent on account of the historic use of mail in ballots, as well as citing other as-yet unspecified reasons. President Trump has also declared victory, but without the required 270 electoral votes anywhere in sight.
In the last four years, President Trump has created a divide in this country. He has politicized things that should not have been politicized, the most disastrous of which were the existence of climate change, the COVID-19 pandemic, and the Black Lives Matter movement. We have become a house divided against itself, and in such a state we cannot stand. In this time of division, the country must come together.
Joe Biden is the best man to do just that. During his campaign, he highlighted his ability to govern in a bipartisan manner, based on a 36-year long career in the Senate. Politically, Joe Biden is a left-leaning centrist; he’s resisted the pressure to be a more progressive candidate and has stated many times that, “I plan to work as hard for those who didn’t vote for me as I will for those who did.” It is important— now more than ever— that in this climate to come together as a people and put politics aside and work on unification. Biden’s political strategy and philosophy accomplishes that objective.
I, for one, am excited to see the President-elect take action on the historic issues that are now facing our world, such as climate change, and see his approach to handling COVID-19. Concerning the climate, Biden has said that he will listen to scientists and act accordingly. This is a stark contrast to President Trump, who’s said that “[the earth] will get cooler, just watch” while addressing a climate scientist. (The earth, in fact, has not gotten cooler). This was the first election that magazines like Scientific American and National Geographic have endorsed a presidential candidate, primarily on the account of the irreversible damage that a second term of the Trump presidency would do to the environment.
The Trump Administration has also given up on the coronavirus pandemic, which has taken a total of 250,000 American lives and takes more with each passing day. Joe Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris have already started their transition COVID-19 task force, which features leading members in the field of epidemiology. Biden has also said that he will issue a mask mandate and make sure that no more communities are destroyed because of the virus.
The only worry remaining I hold is— what now for soon-to-be former President Trump? What’s stopping him from doing as much damage as possible in his remaining two months in office? Considering his cult-like following, we could see far-right hate groups like The Proud Boys come fully out of the shadows, as many of them did at the “Million Maga March” in Washington, DC this weekend.
Another concern is if Trump will ever concede, or at least commit himself and his government to a peaceful transition of power? When asked this question during one of the debates, the president simply said that he would “have to see.” This is an unprecedented move, and, considering the fact that he is still insisting that he won is simply frightening. He continues to tweet about his victory while spewing baseless conspiracies, and the Trump campaign has continued their attempts to stop the counting or recounting of ballots.
Beyond this, the (other) biggest threat to the Biden Administration is currently the Senate, which will most likely remain in Republican hands. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell will likely try to block much of the legislation proposed by Biden and the Democrats, as he did during the Obama Administration.
Let’s end, however, with a bit of optimism—something that seems eerily lacking in 2020. Though Joe Biden’s presidency may not be easy, and though he might not have been many people’s first choice, he might be exactly what this country needs right now—to stop being a laughing stock on the world stage, to get back on track and restore faith in America. It will be tricky, but I have hope.