“Let Us Rejoice At That News”
- Margaret Thatcher 1982
In 1982, during the Falklands War, Margaret Thatcher appeared on the steps of 10 Downing Street to announce the sinking, by the Royal Navy, of the Argentine warship the Belgrano. Mrs. Thatcher may have expected the assembled press to shout and cheer, wave Union Jacks and break into a chorus of Royal Britannia, but instead they began asking searching questions like “in which direction had the ship been sailing when it was sunk?” and “how many sailors did she think had drowned?” She appeared a little rattled by this and, in a rather grumpy mood, said “let us rejoice at that news”.
So, I want to borrow her phrase and use it celebrate Joe Biden’s victory in the US Presidential Election. A victory that gives hope to all those who value honesty, decency and integrity. A victory against hate, division, racism, misogyny, disinformation and government by conspiracy theory. News to truly rejoice at.
It is tempting to drift into commentary about the uphill challenges that will face the new President, not least of which is getting the present incumbent out of the White House, but let us first just be happy at such a major victory by a centre left politician in the world’s most important democracy.
In a few short weeks the centre left has seen victories in New Zealand and the US, but we should not see this as the end of authoritarian populist right wing politics. Bolsonaro is still with us in Brazil as is Narendra Modi in India and Erdogan in Turkey. Hungry and Poland have right wing populist governments and the leaderships in Russia and China still have scant regard for democratic principles and human rights. But the US is back in the game and will resume standing up for human rights and democracy around the world. The links between the US and the EU will resume as a force for good. Where the UK stands in all this is another question, given we have left the major institutions of Europe and Biden is no fan of Brexit. My guess is we will be pushed to the margins, sometimes saying the right things but nobody will be listening.
The Murdochs still control much of the media in the US, UK and Australia. There are Trump mini-me’s in Parliament, the Government and behind the scenes in 10 Downing Street. Farage is still his mate. The big news is that the principle cheer leader is on his way out, defeated and now at the mercy of the Twitter censors and the many courts who want to have a chat with him.
Biden’s victory was more emphatic than some commentators have led us to believe. He leads by 6 million in the popular vote and has as many Electoral College seats as Trump managed four years ago, a margin he described as a “landslide”. With 3% of the votes still to count, Biden’s popular vote lead will continue to grow pass 6 million. He has taken Arizona and Georgia, although narrowly. Both falling to the Democrats for the first time since 1982. The electoral map shows the Democrats reinforcing their grip on eastern and western seaboard states while growing a new sphere of influence across the sunbelt, adding Arizona to Nevada, New Mexico and Colorado. Every state from Georgia to the Canadian border, apart from North and South Carolina, will be Democratic. Texas looks an achievable target now with Florida retaining its toss up enigmatic status. More generally the Republicans are being pushed back to their southern and central heartland states.
This would not have been possible without Biden realising the kind of platform the centre left can get elected on, and more importantly, what it cannot. His campaign was disciplined and focused. His core subjects were Coronavirus, national unity, racial harmony, global warming and the economy. He did not allow Republicans to drag him off elsewhere so they could determine the agenda. There is a lesson here for centre left parties in other countries, particularly in the UK.
Biden built an alliance of under 45s, college graduates, women and people of colour. His winning coalition was brought together and remained together, in part, because of his relevant and focused messaging. Again, another message for the Labour Party in the UK.
He avoided the trap that, sadly, some Democrats further down the ticket fell into. He did not stray off into areas such as defunding the police and court packing which played to Republican law and order agenda and likely cost the Democrats control of the Senate. As a result, he avoided being labelled a communist or a socialist with all the vitriol that comes with that. Acquiring these labels is toxic in US politics so Biden just focused on what he planned to do. It had wide appeal. The centre left needs believable platforms and not damaging labels your opponents can define, colour in and pin on you. Another lesson for the Labour Party.
Biden will return decency, generosity and humility to politics. For four years Trump has been dragging it into a cesspit. Familiarity breeds acceptance. We have become immune and thus accepting of Trump’s insults. Amongst many other things, Trump has humiliated disabled people, cajoled his supporters into chanting for hard working public officials to be sacked or locked up, locked children on the US/Mexico border in cages, separated them from their parents without keeping records, has called American service personnel who have lost their lives in conflicts losers and suckers, he criticised John McCain for getting captured by the Viet Cong, he has banned Muslims from entering the US for no other reason than being a Muslim and he has called for US members of Congress to return to the “crime ridden” countries of their parents. For Trump, there is equivalence between an armed white supremacist and a person of colour marching for civil rights. In Trump world, climate warming does not exist. Soon this behaviour from a President will be history.
If you want to see what it means to so many to see Trump defeated just search CNN for the clip of Van Jones speaking just after the channel announced Biden’s victory.
We have witnessed a defeat for hate, division, racism and a casual relationship with the truth. Trumpism is not dead. It is anybody’s guess what he may do to remain in the White House. He might fight again in 4 years and win – who knows.
For now, we should rejoice in Biden’s victory and look forward to having adults once again controlling the leaders of power.
Good luck, Joe – you may need it. But you have given hope to centralists, the centre left, liberals and social democrats across the world. For that we rejoice and say a huge THANK YOU.
Hozzászólások