I’m sure most everyone who reads this column is not a fan of Donald Trump, so since I’m speaking to the choir at this moment when most major outlets have announced Joe Biden as winning the presidency—with Kamela Harris as the first female, first black and first Asian-American vice president—let’s celebrate the fact that the divisive one is on his way out.
Some headlines, Tweets and other quotes from this great day to get you in the mood:
“Biden beats Trump”—The New York Times
“Joe Biden triumphs over Trump as voters repudiate divisive, bullying president”—Washington Post
“America won: Voters stopped an authoritarian populist from destroying the country’s democratic institutions”—The Atlantic
“Maybe worth noting that Democrats are 3-0 this century when they have a black person on the ticket, and 0-3 when they don’t.”—Nate Silver, FiveThirtyEight
“We kept the republic! … It’s a time to heal and a time to grow together. E Pluribus Unum.”—Nancy Pelosi
“@JoeBiden @KamalaHarris and the American people, you just gave the world one of the greatest acts of kindness and bravery humanity has ever seen. Nothing but love for our new Commander in Chief and the 1ST female VP elected to the White House. Also, way to go PA.”—Lady Gaga
“It’s a history-making ticket, a repudiation of Trump, and a new page for America. … Onward, together.”—Hillary Clinton
“Scientists relieved as Joe Biden wins tight US presidential election”—Nature Magazine
“President-elect claims mandate on climate change, systemic racism, more”—Fox News
“We have not only voted out the most corrupt, dangerous president in modern history but have the opportunity to carry out the most progressive agenda our country has ever seen. Let’s get to work!”—Ilhan Omar, U.S. Representative, Minn.
“Anybody who’s like ‘well that was a pretty good showing for Trump!’ should consider how Hillary Clinton was treated as the World’s Biggest Loser after an election with the same Electoral College margin as this one. But where she won the popular vote instead of losing it by 5 [million].”—Nate Silver, FiveThirtyEight
“Donald Trump has wrapped up his round of golf, during which Joe Biden was declared the winner of the presidential election … dozens of onlookers lined the road to Trump’s Virginia club after the race was called. Some of their signs read, ‘You’re fired’ and ‘Pack your shit and go.’”—CNN
“Some or all of the content shared in this Tweet is disputed and might be misleading about an election or other civic process.”—Donald J. Trump
“18:01, 7 November 2020 … Add Biden as president-elect”—Wikipedia addition by user SSSB
“Folks, the people of this nation have spoken.”—Joe Biden
As relieved as I am at this moment—on what should officially be known as International Mental Health Day—I have to remind myself that presidents, legislators and supreme court justices, even those whose ideas and policies I support, aren’t the ones with the power. Most every meaningful change in the history of this county—from workers rights to civil rights—has been the result of “we the people” demanding it. As Howard Zinn put it in an editorial in The Progressive more than a decade ago “Those rights only come alive when citizens organize, protest, demonstrate, strike, boycott, rebel, and violate the law in order to uphold justice.”
Even though our guy and gal will soon be the country’s leaders, it’s to up to us to show them where we want to go.
The work will come. Today we celebrate this positive change and the hope it brings. On Facebook today, my friend and Chico State English professor Rob Davidson posted “New Day Rising”—the lead-off track from Minneapolis punk greats Hüsker Dü’s 1985 album of the same name—and it is just the spark to get the party started. Sing along:
New day rising
New day rising
New day rising
New day rising
New day rising (new day rise, yeah!)
New day rising
New day rising (new day rise!)
New day rising
New day rising (new day rise!)
New day rising (new day rising!)
A-la-da-ahh ahh aaaaaaah!
New day rising
Yeah ahh aaaaaaah!
New day, yeah, yeah yeaaaaah!
New day rising
New day rising
New day rising (new day rising!)
New day rise
New day rise, yeah (new day rising!)
Yeah!
New day rising
New day rising (new day rise!)
New day rising
New day rising (new day rise!)
New day rising
New day rising (new day rise!)
New day rising
New day rising (new day rise!)
New day rising (new day rising!)
New day rising (new day rising!)
Aaaaaah! (new day rising!)
New aaaaah! (new day rising!)
Aaaaaah! (new day rising!)
New day… aaaah! (new day rising!)
(New day rising!)
Aaaaaah! (new, new, new day rising!)
Raaaaaagh! (new, new, new day rising!)
Rrrrgh! Rrraagh!
New day rising
New day rising
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