A Recipe for Discontent

“A terrifying number of Americans would prefer to see their republic wither than have to share it with Others.” Anand Giridharadas

As I write this, Joe Biden has amassed 253 electoral college votes to Trump’s 213. Biden’s path to victory is wider than Trump’s. Key states are still undecided, among them Pennsylvania, Georgia, and North Carolina. 

As I predicted a week or so ago that he would, Trump tried to declare victory prematurely. 

Right on cue, Trump’s campaign issued its first legal challenge, in Michigan. More will follow. That’s how Trump plays. 

November 4 was a somber day for me, a tremendous letdown, and a learning experience about election polling that I won’t forget. As was true in 2016, polls this year painted a picture of election day that didn’t materialize. The Blue Wave of 2020 petered out far from shore. The men and women behind the Lincoln Project are experienced, bright, full of purpose, and I relied on their prognostications, but even they read it wrong. Democrats will not take control of the Senate, meaning at least two more years of Mitch McConnell with the gate key in his blackened hand, smirking with delight every time he blocks, impedes, or undermines a Biden legislative proposal. Nor did the Dems fare well in the House, they will have the majority, but there was no expansion. Divided government. Divided nation. In a time of crisis. That’s a recipe for suffering and even deeper discontent.  

Trump can pretend all he wants that the pandemic has disappeared, but the pandemic won’t forget him, and history, I hope, will not forgive him. Because this man deserves to pay a price for his arrogance and stupidity. 

I said it months ago: to avoid a divisive fight about legitimacy, the Democrats had to win overwhelmingly, take the White House, the Senate, expand their majority in the House, pick up some governorships, and do well down the ballot. It didn’t happen. 

The Dems left their best attacking players -- Bernie Sanders, Elizabeth Warren, AOC, Sherrod Brown -- on the bench and went with Joe Biden, the safe choice of the party bigwigs, insuring a campaign that lacked vision and a message with the emotional power to make people dream of a better country.  A vote for Biden was a vote for a known quantity, something to grab hold of as we plunge toward the abyss, something to slow our fall and offer a chance to regain our balance. 

Our American Dreams are nightmares now. Lines are drawn, sides and colors chosen, walls built. 

Never again can the United States lecture another nation about “democracy” and “free and fair” elections. Our voting systems are a travesty. The GOP has made a science of voter suppression and disenfranchisement. 

I can’t believe 60 million of my fellow Americans voted to keep Donald Trump in the White House. I honestly don’t understand what they see when they look at him, listen to him, watch him on TV. I want to understand, but I find it very difficult. A day or two after the 2016 election, still reeling, in shock, I wrote on this blog that Trump and his cronies would do serious damage to our country, its vital institutions, the rule of law; they have succeeded. Trump hasn’t single-handedly shoved our country into the shadows -- he had help from the GOP -- but he bears a ton of responsibility. Trump can pretend all he wants that the pandemic has disappeared, but the pandemic won’t forget him, and history, I hope, will not forgive him. Because this man deserves to pay a price for his arrogance and stupidity. More than 220,000 dead Americans, some due to Trump’s bungled response to Covid, his lying about it, downplaying the severity of it, his war against masks and expert opinion, on science and knowledge. Four years of corruption and lying. Trump pulled down his trousers and pissed on the Constitution, the American flag, and Abe Lincoln’s boots. 

Millions of Americans could care less, they voted for him and his GOP enablers; they voted for an incompetent authoritarian; they voted for a grifter; they voted for magical thinking and make-believe. The election reveals who we are and the depths of depravity many millions of us are willing to tolerate. 

Sad and somber. We may as well lower the flag to half mast, and leave it there.