So, a few days after Election Day, a winner has finally been declared. As it stands now, Joe Biden will become America's 46th President on January 20. Yesterday, Of course, there have been some initial claims of voter fraud by Republicans. The validity to these claims will be determined later. But for now, Joe Biden will be taking residence on Pennsylvania Avenue in a couple of months.
Yesterday, Biden supporters held a nationwide block party. They frolicked like their favorite team had just won the Super Bowl. Liberal bliss was on full display with little regard for social distancing. There was a small presence of Trump protests at some of these gatherings but everything was quite peaceful., And no buildings were burned or looted in the process. This is obviously a good thing. But would things have been so jubilant and non-violent if Trump would have won?
American flags were flown proudly throughout the celebrations. This a welcomed contrast to the burning of the flag that we've seen in recent times. I'm not quite sure why it's fashionable to break out the flag when things go your way but burn it when things don't. There are different paths taken by any given administration. But it should never be fashionable to hate America. Like I mentioned in last week's piece, we have a democratic process in this country. If you don't like the guy in charge, vote him out at the next opportunity.
So, assuming that Joe Biden does indeed move into the White House without any delays, let's look at how he will change the current direction of things...
First off, he will likely use executive orders to rejoin the Paris climate accords. He will also reinstate the program allowing "dreamers" to remain in the United States. He will likely repel the immigration ban on Muslim-majority countries. And perhaps most significantly (at least regarding the COVID situation), he will reverse President Trumps withdrawal from the World Health Organizations.
There has been plenty of criticism regarding Trump's handling of the COVID pandemic. Since there doesn't seem to be light at the end of the tunnel yet, Joe Biden will inherit the responsibility of guiding us to it. He will likely take a much different approach than Trump did. But time will tell if his approach is better. No matter what happens you can bet that it will be politicized...
As we get closer to Inauguration Day, it will be interesting to see how things play out. The transition process will likely be like no other. There is certainly no love lost between Trump and Biden. So, I don't expect them to work together at all. I'm even wondering if Trump will attend the Inauguration.
Speaking of lack of love, Trump and the media would fall into that category. The fireworks that we've seen over the past four years were something that couldn't be ignored. Will the media take the same hard line approach with Joe Biden? Trump's unfiltered handing of the press is something that we'll likely never see again. Although brutal at times, I think it was important for Trump to expose the bias of the media. Yes, I know my liberal friends will fight me on this. But we'll just have to agree to disagree.
With all of this being said, I watched Biden's address in Wilmington, DE last night. He spoke of uniting the country, promising to work as hard for the people who voted against him as the people who supported him. He also encouraged the crowd to view Trump supporters as, not enemies, but fellow Americans. As someone who admittedly did not vote for Biden, I liked the substance of his message. Will he deliver on it? Time will tell.
While there is still deep division and turmoil in this country, we desperately need to find a united way forward. I'm not sure if Joe Biden is the answer. But it looks like he will get his opportunity. As with any President, I wish him success in doing what's best for America. We don't always have to agree with each other. But we should never forget that we're all Americans.
kw
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