It's Been a Sweet Tart of a Day

There's a lot to be said about the Biden victory. A lot of hope. A lot of relief. A lot of happiness. Yes, we should indeed celebrate the victory. It puts Harris as the highest elected woman in U.S history. That alone, while a sad commentary on our misogynistic society, is enough to celebrate. 

But I'm not going to talk about all that. Many others will, and they will do a much better job than I. 

Instead, I need to talk about what many would prefer we didn’t talk about. 

I'm bothered by the fact a man like Trump could get so much support. So much virulent, vicious, cult-like support. His followers worship him. He literally has had a hand in the deaths of over 240,000 people and still they worship him. More people voted for him this election than the last. That speaks volumes about the soul of our country. 

For the 2020 election, Trump, and the Republican Party in general, had no platform. So this election was not about politics. At his rallies stand-up routines he never talked policy or how he would try to help the country if given another four years in office. Instead he just ranted and raged at his perceived enemies. It was a comedy show of anger. A hate movement disguised as patriotism. A sad commentary on where we as a nation have gone.

And many, many people ate it up. Over seventy million, in fact. 

They voted to cage children, sterilize women, and control their bodies. They voted for blatant and open white supremacy and fascism. They voted to hate, disenfranchise, and attack people of color or people that don’t agree with them. They voted for authoritarianism because of some irrational fear that Democrats were going to take away their guns and money. They voted for inequality. They voted for lies. They voted for people to not have healthcare. They voted to end democracy. 

And that is why this Biden victory feels hollow to me.

All those people that embraced hate, that believed the media was the enemy of the people, that actively fought for authoritarianism, they’re still out there. They still embrace, believe, and fight for all that shit listed above. They didn’t suddenly change their stripes because the man they worship lost the election. If anything, they’re more emboldened now; more motivated. 

Then there’s the fact the “blue wave” never happened. Not only was there not a landslide victory for Biden, there wasn’t a massive ousting of incumbent GOP senators. The Senate did not turn blue. And the best it looks like it might do is go 50-50. And the Senate turning blue was a necessary condition if change was going to happen in this country. But instead McConnell will do what he did in the latter part of the Obama presidency: block everything.

I’ve written about McConnell before. The fact he is able to do what he does seems to be a flaw in our political system. A flaw that most certainly will not change with him and Republicans in charge of the Senate. (And the Senate is an unfair representation of the American people, but that’s a discussion for another day.) So don’t expect any real change to happen with Biden in office. McConnell won’t allow it. 

And since very little will change, and all the haters of democracy and embracers of authoritarianism are still out there, we can’t let our guard down. But I don’t know how we do that when we are all exhausted from these last five years. Will we be able to keep up the fight for another four? Because I don’t see Biden’s victory erasing what we have been fighting against these past years. It’s still out there. Some on the right are already calling for someone “meaner” than Trump in 2024. Trump himself is rumored to want to run again, as well. Even Don Jr. is rumored. And Tucker Carlson. Yeah. Tucker Carlson. 

And clearly they have supporters. Many supporters. Like I said earlier, it’s a hate movement.

It is said that love trumps hate. Morally I believe this to be true. Realistically I don’t know if it is. After all, Trump is a mirror of our country. He is a symptom of a much greater cancer. He brought out the worst in many Americans, though their hate and subservience to authoritarianism has always been with them. He just gave them permission to flaunt it. It’s why the Christian Right supports him—practically worships him—despite his lack of decency, empathy, and compassion toward others. He really only offers the Christian Right authoritarianism. But for them, that’s enough.

Please don't misunderstand me. Yes, we should celebrate. Cheer, dance in the streets, ring bells, shoot off fireworks, whatever. And it looks like most of the world is celebrating with us. That’s a wonderful feeling. Because despite the Trump Republican drive to isolate this country from the rest of the world, it can’t. All countries are connected now. We all must work together if we want a future for our children. Isolation will lead to extinction.

But don’t get complacent. The Trump Republicans have greatly damaged this country. From actively and blatantly suppressing voters, to stacking lower courts with unqualified Republican judges, to literally stealing seats on the Supreme Court, to politicizing a pandemic, to demonizing the media, to gaslighting the American people. A Biden administration will not be able to repair it all.

But it’s a start. 

Just know that the fight must continue.

So be ready to keep at it.

Life’s short. Live, love, create, and help others.

Until next time, my friends. Stay safe and stay sane. Good night.