Ever since Election Night became Election Week, we have been collectively wondering when Donald Trump might take the hint and bow out gracefully. Not that we ever really expected it, based on past behavior, but we hoped that a candidate now thirty minutes past midnight into his first and likely only term might do the honorable, gracious thing. Instead, we’ve seen column after column, pundit after pundit register their incredulity. And, naturally, we have asked the same question of ourselves.
So this begs the question. Why isn’t Trump yet willing to pass along the reins of power to Joe Biden? As with all calculated risks, even those that resemble a Hail Mary pass, there’s an answer present that we may not have yet been willing to formulate. Having collected the second most number of popular votes ever tallied in any Presidential election and with still wide swaths of his base ravenously supportive in his corner, Trump may believe that this same collective mad-as-hell base might support Republicans in the 2022 Mid-term Election and the 2024 General Election. The Donald is making a mighty assumption, but he may believe that an ineffective Democratic president, House of Representatives, and potential Senate majority might eventually lead to the resumption of Republican control.
As we know, the party that takes control of power often triumphs not based on its own merits or successes, but rather on the gross incompetence of the party in power. But to return to my original point, I don’t see Trump conceding for any reason, even up until Inauguration Day, because he wants to continue to enflame and enrage his supporters. He hopes to keep them stirred into a frenzy for as long as he can. From the beginning, they’ve believed hook, line, and sinker his unfounded and untruthful allegations of voter fraud and a so-called rigged election. What remains to be seen is whether this major gamble succeeds or whether it royally blows up in Trump’s face, damaging his party in the process as well.
So while we liberals are continuing to scratch our heads about this decision as we demand political civility and good sportsmanship from a blessedly outgoing President, Republicans are working on a strategy for the future. Nevertheless, the consequences of this tactic may continue to damage the GOP brand and the political futures of Republicans in power who still back his quixotic and stubborn approach. They are banking on a titanic Biden Administration failure and corresponding Democratic degree of incompetence. I am no political expert, but in the same vein as the numerous overruled court challenges filed by the Trump Administration to protest supposed voting irregularities, I see no path to victory.
I have read numerous articles which state that the Republican party is still the party of Trump. While that may be the case now, and true in the immediate future, I simply do not see him retaining lasting, iron fisted control. Republicans and their attitudes regarding the need for a swift and fair Trump transition may be currently infuriating, but they are not stupid. As is often the case with politics, cycles and leaders ebb and flow. Power is never guaranteed to anyone, for any amount of time.
In the immediate future, expect more of the same histrionics from our President and his enablers. Biden hasn’t even formally taken office yet and enjoyed his honeymoon period. None of us has a crystal ball and can peer into the future with any accuracy. The same goes for Democrats as it does for Republicans. My hope is that the Biden Administration will see the value in incorporating Trump supporters and some of their more reasonable ideas into his fold. The most notable example that comes to mind was his ability to lower prescription drugs costs for individuals. The next is his ability to simplify the tax code, making filing much less complicated. Though I make these claims reluctantly, it cannot be said that the Trump presidency was a complete failure. Otherwise, we remain a divided country, and the same inertia that Republicans are banking on to win back control is a decided possibility.
The first 100 days of any new administration are crucial, but they will be especially so here with President-elect Biden. The optimistic in each of us believes that Biden’s long career in politics will be an asset here, and it may well be. It is an overused cliche, but also a truism that the governance of American politics is built on the principle of compromise. As a progressive Democrat, I admire the policies of AOC and Bernie Sanders, but know that Biden will govern as a moderate. I’m sure a few table scraps will be thrown to progressives, but I hold out little hope for the Green New Deal or single-payer healthcare. Only a misinformed right-wing pundit would say with any seriousness that the enactment of these policies, combined with a hard-left shift to socialism or communism is imminent.
I want to underscore that the accusation is so ridiculous that it makes me laugh. A majority of voters rejected it and it is still a losing charge. It only goes to show the very roots of political hyperbole married to scare tactics, especially true in an election year. But here’s the good news. We, as a nation, survived another one. Though it was scary, we made it through another four years.
Despite our fears to the contrary, we saw no constitutional crisis, widespread violence on street corners, and protracted court cases. While it is surely true that we are a 50%/50% nation, we have a great opportunity to put aside our differences. We are still living in the Era of Trump, but very shortly we will be able to adjust to a brand new style of governance. That cannot and should not be understated. It will take us quite some time to right the ship, in ways we may not yet be able to currently comprehend. Otherwise, let Donald Trump cling to his sore loserism, along with his guns and religion.