In the Aftermath of an American Election

American readers may have to indulge me for the following rendition of events, since most of us have been following them closely since November 3rd. Some readers outside the United States may not be aware of how Joe Biden and Kamala Harris came into office through the Electoral College. This article suggests how the Trump administration’s lack of attention to the pandemic and the legal exercise of mail-in voting in the United States worked to Biden’s advantage. In any case, recounting that process and those hectic days, at least for me, was a form of catharsis after four years of turmoil. As always, your comments are highly encouraged.

On Saturday, November 7, 2020, at 8:26 am (PST) – 11:26 am (EST), CNN network anchor Wolf Blitzer projected the U.S. Presidential election in favor of Joe Biden and Kamala Harris, signaling the unofficial end to the administration of Donald J. Trump. Within minutes, the Associated Press, Fox News, and most media and print outlets around the United States declared victory for Biden/Harris based on Pennsylvania’s award of twenty (20) Electoral College votes.[i] This pushed the Democratic ticket to 273 above the 270 votes necessary to win.

Spontaneous celebrations by Biden/Harris supporters soon broke out in Washington, D.C. in front of the White House, and on the streets of Philadelphia, in New York’s Times Square, as well as in Atlanta, Detroit, Los Angeles, San Francisco, and many other smaller cities. A highlight was the sheer joy on the faces of thousands of women, especially those of color, who celebrated Kamala Harris’s election as the first female Vice-President in the 244 year history of the United States.

Social media was soon inundated with congratulatory messages. My own pages tallied over 150 “likes” within minutes of an announcement posted that morning, many from Macau, Hong Kong, Portugal, Australia, Canada, and Brazil. This was followed by reports of fireworks in London and church bells ringing in Paris, and several congratulatory messages from the heads of western ally governments in Europe, Latin America, and Asia.

How Did Biden and Harris Do It ?

Despite the jubilation and clear approval from around the world, the Trump campaign has not yet conceded, and has threatened litigation based on several allegations of voter fraud and miscounting, despite rejections by at least six state and federal courts.

Looking at the actual process of voting, however, Donald Trump and his surrogates may have sabotaged their own campaign from the very beginning. For several months before the election, Trump waged a bogus public relations campaign alleging “widespread voter fraud” due to the distribution of mail-in ballots by most states, a traditional method that was expanded due to the Coronavirus. Trump went so far as to suggest that a Biden victory would be “fraudulent” due to mail-in votes and a lack of transparency, despite using mailed ballots himself in Florida in years past. By continuing to deny the severity of the pandemic, then attempting to dissuade voting by mail by labeling it a “corrupt” practice, Trump encouraged his supporters instead to wait until election day to cast ballots. This resulted in many Republicans standing in line for several hours, subjecting some to inclement weather and counter demonstrations near polling locations. Their votes were also the first to be counted in a majority of states. Mail-in ballots, all of which were required to be postmarked by election day on November 3^rd, were not counted in most states until the polls closed.

CNN and other news channels announced that over 76% of American voters used mailed ballots, of which approximately 90% were cast by Democrats. This resulted in a much slower vote count in many states, especially in Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan, and Pennsylvania, the so-called “battleground” states that were critical to electing Trump in 2016 and even more important to Biden in 2020. Pennsylvania, Biden’s place of birth, had never issued mail-in ballots before, and took almost four days after the election to update vote tallies. As a result, Trump’s apparent “victory” by over 600,000 in-person ballots on the evening of November 3 slowly eroded each day and was eventually reversed, then superseded on November 7 by at least 40,000 Biden votes, giving Pennsylvania to the Democrat. The state’s 20 Electoral College votes was just what Biden/Harris needed to reach 270 and defeat Trump/Pence.  

The Hope for a Return to Sanity

The principal drivers of Trump’s defeat seem to be his “ham fisted” social and economic policies (as characterized by CNN and others), the harassment of political opponents, and a lack of planning related to the pandemic, which resulted in over 10 million infections and over 230,000 deaths. The Republican still attracted over 70,000,000 votes. This has not escaped the attention of Joe Biden or Kamala Harris during their acceptance speeches this past week. Each made appeals to all Americans to work together and heal the nation in this time of need. Whether those words will make a difference in the weeks before Biden’s inauguration on January 20, 2021, in light of Trump’s unprecedented refusal to concede and assist in his opponent’s transition, is difficult to imagine for many in the United States and around the world.

In the meantime, there is much work to be done to unwind Trump policies that continue to affect many Americans, especially those in the middle class, those who are poor, among people of color, in LGBTQ communities, and among the immigrant population.

As announced by the Biden/Harris campaign, the first order of business will be the formation of a Coronavirus (Covid-19) task force headed by scientists who worked on the H1N1 virus and the Ebola outbreak in the Obama administration. Dr. Anthony Fauci would also be added if Trump fires him before January. The new virus initiative will begin immediately on January 20th. 

Other priorities may include:

1. An economic stimulus program that could be passed by both the House and Senate, providing relief for the poor, unemployed workers, and local governments, 
2. The reinstatement of more equitable immigration policies, which will end the holding of refugee women and children in detention facilities at the southern border.
3. A reinstatement of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) policy, which allows the children of undocumented aliens to remain in the United States to participate in public education, employment, and eventual apply for citizenship.
4. Middle class tax relief by rescinding the Trump administration’s 2017 Tax Plan. This plan drastically reduced corporate taxes and increased the US budget deficit, while severely raising taxes on the middle class by reducing deductions for homes and small business expenses.

The great majority of Americans sincerely hope for a return to more sane, less chaotic government policies, especially with regard to expanded healthcare and an increase in job development and training. Democrats and most Republicans anticipate that the divisiveness of the Trump presidency, the encouragement of racial division, and the inertia of a divided government will end with the more conciliatory tone and approach of the Biden/Harris administration.

We also look forward to rejoining the global community as a strategic partner to ensure a return to geo-political stability, working toward an effective climate policy, and economic cooperation. As the mayor Paris wrote on Twitter: “Welcome back America.”

Rest assured: We’re very glad to be back !

[i] In the United States, Electoral College (EC) votes are based on individual votes counted by counties, which are then tallied statewide. The presidential candidate who wins the most votes in each state is awarded that state’s EC votes. Large population states have more EC votes than smaller states. The candidate with at least 270 EC votes is elected president each four years.