Divided We Stand — What Must Happen in Joe Biden’s America
Joe Biden stands on the edge of the Presidency. On Saturday, most major news outlets declared Joseph R. Biden the “President-Elect”. The electoral map now suggests that Vice President Biden will have enough electoral votes to become the 46th President of the United States of America. The current election for President of the United States has been, and continues to be, very close. A few thousand votes represent the margin of victory of Biden over Trump in Arizona, Michigan, Nevada, Pennsylvania Wisconsin and potentially Georgia. That Georgia, one of the states MLK referenced in his “I have a dream speech”, could add to Biden’s margin, and possibly prove decisive in the control of the US Senate, is something worthy of our reflection. All this said, Mr. Trump will not go quietly. His actions targeted at undermining the validity of the vote (as he has done for months) and now suggesting he will ask for recounts and / or file law suits in some or all of these states seem, at the very least, antithetical to our notions of democracy. Mr. Trump, has so far, refused to concede the election.
The uncertainty and rancor surrounding the election cast a shadow on what should be an otherwise joyous occasion, and moment of unity for our Country. We stand far from any such tranquil state. Vice President Biden said he was running to “restore the soul of our nation”. He echoed these words in a Saturday night speech targeted at the unification of our country. His message that harkened back to a time of greater hopefulness for our Country, when Mr. Biden and Mr. Obama ran, and ultimately won, on a message of hope. The author Janvier Chouteu-Chando writes “Hope is soothing, but it can become deceptive if we cling to it as the last resort against reality”. The reality of America is that we are deeply divided. We have given into a tribalism of sorts, one that more resembles Hobbes “state of nature”, than a Nation that purports itself to be the model of democracy and governing.
How did we get here? Blaming Donald Trump for the current state of our Nation would be easy to do. However, it would not be intellectually honest. Yes, Mr. Trump has used base dog whistle politics to fan the flames of racial politics in our country as he infamously said “there were good people on both sides in Charlottesville” and telling the Proud Boys to “stand back and stand by”. Notwithstanding, these words and practices, Mr. Trump did not create the race problem in America. He has, however, exploited it, and fanned its flames for his own political gain. In addition to the race problem in our country, we face several challenges as we prepare to welcome in a new President:
· The Coronavirus. More than 250,000 Americans have perished because of the Coronavirus, and millions more have contracted the disease, with the US currently witnessing a surging number of new cases. There is not a coherent plan for bringing this pandemic under control. The impact to our Country, and world, until the disease is controlled, continues to be dire.
· The Economy. The stock market as Mr. Trump claims, is strong. The fact that approximately only 30% of Americans participate in the stock market, makes it a poor proxy for the economic health of our country. Many millions of Americans are unemployed, running low or out of savings, and continue to grow more desperate by the day.
· Healthcare. The Coronavirus has had a major negative impact on our healthcare system. A partisan Supreme Court, and likely (still) majority Republican Senate, continue to form the underpinnings for attempts try to dismantle the protections of the ACA.
· Partisan Politics. Politically, we are deeply divided. This division has made it hard for our government to make meaningful progress for the citizens that they serve.
Even with a new President, the above-mentioned issues, do not magically disappear. Further complicating the ability to successfully resolve these issues, is the fact that Mr. Trump, should he go on to be defeated, will have garnered nearly 50% of the votes cast. His supporters are a loyal and fervent group. Assuming, which I believe is a safe assumption, that his supporters buy into his rhetoric that the election was “rigged”, “stolen” or otherwise marred by illicit behavior, how does the next President restore belief in our democracy. Even if one were to disagree with the mindset of Mr. Trump’s supporters, making them believe that they were not disenfranchised will be a foundational task of the next President, as casting a vote, and having it count, is among the most sacred protections afforded by our Constitution.
Mr. Biden, with his recent address, suggesting that he would be an “American” President of all the people, may start the healing process our Nation needs. That said, he cannot unify our country alone. At some point, and hopefully soon, Republican leadership is going to have to break with Mr. Trump, and make it clear that votes were legally cast, counted and the process of our election was a fair one. This deliberate process will start the healing our Country needs. We need a decided change in direction, as our current course suggests many bad outcomes, up to and including civil war. No American that cares about this Country should want such a result.
Mr. Biden, as he takes office (assuming of course he is declared the official winner), will not be able to wave a magic wand of hope, and have us all singing “kumbaya” and sitting in circles of friendship and love. The tasks ahead of Mr. Biden’s will be hard. These tasks will involve the arduous work of systematically addressing the Coronavirus, rebuilding the economy in a way that works for all (Wall street and Main street), ensuring that every American who becomes ill, has healthcare and bringing an end to tribal politics so true bi-partisan work can be accomplished.
Finally, there is the issue of race. As a Black CEO who runs a small business, and more to the point, a Black man living in America, I would be remiss if I did not explicitly address the topic of race. This Country cannot move forward, until it addresses, in meaningful ways, our original sin as a Nation — slavery and its continuing progeny. As a Country, we must finally acknowledge that we have a race problem. This race issue is holding us all back, not just the members of the black caste, and as such, until race is addressed in a systemic manner, we as a Nation, by definition, will continue to exist as a less full, less perfect version of ourselves. The race issue in America is both toxic and systemic. Words of unification, even by our President-Elect, may be soothing, but as Mr. Chouteu-Chando points out, they may also prove illusory. Solutions targeted at addressing race, must acknowledge the current toxic environment, and be systemic in nature. The solutions needed here are: improved education, equitable economic opportunities, affordable and safe housing, and access to healthcare and transportation.
It was lauded by the Democrats, and President-Elect Biden, that Black Americans delivered this election. I do not believe, going forward, that either political party should expect to continue to count Black Americans in its base, to swing elections, until the aforementioned items are addressed, and there is true accountability for creating a better America — as has long been promised us. It is time for our “thanks” to be delivered through actions, and not just words. As a Country, we must not allow ourselves to be mindlessly soothed into a state where good feelings around hope, obfuscate the need for real change. We need tangible plans and solutions. Until such time (notwithstanding the person or people elected in the current election) as we have such solutions, divided we will stand. Given notions of American exceptionalism, we should demand better of our leaders, our country and ourselves.
