On Saturday night, Joe Biden delivered his acceptance speech as the projected winner of the 2020 presidential election.
To be sure the speech the president-elect delivered in Wilmington, Del. was optimistic, inclusive, and forward-looking.
It was a speech all Americans can and should be pleased to hear.
At the same time, the reality is that the polarization the recently concluded election revealed—and continues to demonstrate with the protests in the streets of many cities and towns—of achieving the overarching objectives the president-elect spoke of will be difficult to achieve in all, and indeed, truth be told, in part.
BIDEN PREACHES UNITY, PROMISES TO ADDRESS CORONAVIRUS CRISIS IN FIRST SPEECH AS PRESIDENT-ELECT
Though Biden has been decisively declared the winner of the election, this was not a mandate election. The president-elect has no clear ratification of his agenda and there is no clear mandate for control of the Senate.
President Donald Trump clearly over-performed in many battleground states on election day, winning several toss-ups such as Florida and Ohio comfortably, while also running close in states like Wisconsin and Michigan, where Biden held wide, even double-digit polling leads in months prior.
Furthermore, the Democrats’ down-ballot performance was even poorer than at the presidential level.
Contrary to many predictions, the upper legislative body is likely to remain evenly divided with perhaps a narrow Republican advantage, perhaps no party advantage.
It is clear that the country is deeply divided -- perhaps more so than anyone had predicted prior to the November election. To that end, Biden will need to lead in a way that redoubles our sense of national purpose and works to bring both parties together.
In a recognition of the mood of the country and the gravity of the moment, Biden’s speech on Saturday night emphasized the importance of unity. He made broad references to the need to reject polarization, division and political divisiveness.
Biden also addressed one of the core tenants of his campaign--the nation’s response to the coronavirus pandemic--acknowledging the urgency of reaching a consensus on how we as a nation collectively handle and respond to the coronavirus as the third wave of infections looms.
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The president-elect highlighted the need to revitalize the coronavirus task force, move towards uniform standards and policies, and depoliticize mask-wearing and social distancing.
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Further, Biden addressed the need to help Americans with another stimulus package in a way that helps people get back to work and addresses the nation's current unemployment of 7 percent.
Broadly, Biden also emphasized the need for bipartisanship in addressing the pandemic, which means compromising with Republicans, and addressing the problem in a comprehensive way that relies on science, rather than politics.
To be sure, these are the themes that Biden sought to emphasize in his speech, and will clearly be central to his agenda. However, it remains to be seen if Republicans on the right representing Trumpism without Trump and the Democratic left led by Rep. Alexandra Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y. and member of the “Squad,” will allow Joe Biden and Kamala Harris to fulfill the promise that this election result offers Americans and the American people.
Though, if Republicans in fact do win a narrow majority in the Senate, Biden will need to build a working relationship with Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., that is more productive than the relationship shared by President Trump and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif.
The two leaders will need to work out a bipartisan agenda, which includes passing an economic stimulus, immigration reform, health care reform, and a national response to the coronavirus.
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If Biden governs as a centrist and seeks to reach productive, moderate consensus with the GOP, his can be a historic, constructive administration of lasting significance.
If however, he advances a left-wing progressive agenda to mollify the Bernie Sanders/Ocasio-Cortez wing of the party, his own approval rating and that of the Democratic party could well sink to historic lows.
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