Based on the current evidence, it’s over. Joe Biden will be the 46th President of the United States.
I didn’t vote for him. I voted – begrudgingly – for Donald Trump, not because I thought he was divine gift to America, because I thought he’d solve our country’s problems, or even because I thought he was a good candidate.
I voted for Trump, frankly, because I was far more scared of a Biden presidency. I was – and still am – deeply perturbed about Wokeness as a governmental, legal, social, and cultural phenomenon. I am worried that Joe Biden will do nothing to stop the onslaught of left-wing identity politics that is sure to be emboldened in the coming months. I am worried that Biden, who ran as a moderate and a unifier, will only increase national tensions.
But my worries don’t change reality. As it stands now, Biden will be president. And, as I reflect on the events of this week, there are some things to be hopeful about – many, in fact.
First, this election cycle wasn’t a complete disaster for conservativism. When the electoral dust settles, Republicans will have gained notable ground in the House and have an excellent chance at maintaining their lead in the Senate. Given that, traditionally, congressional elections reflect the outcome of the presidential race, conservatives dodged a potential knockout blow. There will be, it seems, a fragile political equilibrium in Washington, making it difficult for radical Democratic policies (like court packing) to be rammed through Congress.
Second, this election answered previously unresolved questions about the mindset and opinion of the American people. For the last four years, the Right has made this race about the condemnation of socialism and cultural Marxism; the Left has made it about the personality and character of Donald Trump. In the end, the American people rejected both. Voters did not allow a “blue wave” of Democratic representatives and senators to infiltrate Washington, and it became clear that they grew tired of the bombastic rhetoric spilling out of the White House.
This signals that Americans are more capable of nuance and thoughtful democratic voice than what we previously thought possible. By and large they rejected so-called progressivism – Californians, for example, voted down Proposition 16, which would reject the state’s civil rights act and allow racial discrimination to be implemented for the sake of “equity,” and Louisianans passed Amendment 1, the “No Right to Abortion in Constitution Amendment,” which would outlaw abortion in the state if Roe vs Wade is ever overturned.
Third, given the current political balance in Congress, conservatives will likely maintain their 6-3 lead on the Supreme Court. Any Woke legal cases that make it there will likely fail.
Fourth, Trump’s absence may cool down national tensions. The last four years have seen a marked increase in tendentiousness and abusive rhetoric from the Left and the Right.
Fifth, I may have very well been wrong about Trump. Maybe four years of Joe Biden will ultimately be what’s best for the country, given the options with which we were presented. In fact, I genuinely hope that was wrong about him. I want Biden to succeed as president – not for the sake of the Left, or the Democratic party, but for the sake of all of us.
These are my hopes for and thoughts on the next four years of American politics. And who knows? Maybe every single one of my predictions will be incorrect. Maybe a Biden administration will kowtow to the Bernie Sanders faction of the Democratic Party; maybe the court will be packed; maybe basic rights will be taken away; and maybe the Trump legal team will find new evidence proving widespread voter fraud, causing him to win reelection. Crazier things have happened. It’s 2020, after all.
Before the election began, I knew that, regardless of who won, America would still face the same challenges it did since the beginning of the year; a Trump or Biden victory wouldn’t magically solve any of them. We still have race relation problems to work through; we still have to deal with COVID-19; and we still have to deal with the rising illiberalism of the modern Left.
My hope isn’t dependent on an election, a presidential candidate, or even the magnificent ideal of a democratic process. I’m a Christian. My hope is in One who is eternal, good, and true; He exists far outside my immediate concerns about political processes, philosophical misconceptions, or cultural movements; and he’s infinitely better than the machinations of the Democrats or Republicans.
In reality, nothing about this election will change anything about my behavior or my beliefs. I will continue to think, write, and fight for the truth in my writing, in school, and at work. I will continue to speak with my friends, family, and acquaintances with whom I disagree – not because I seek conflict or debate, but because I genuinely want to learn from them; I want to understand their perspectives and voice. I would challenge anyone reading this to do the same – regardless of who they voted for.
Will you join me?