MIDDLE AMERICA by RUTH CONNIFF
A BRIDGE TO A NEW ERA
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e were in the back- delivered her acceptance speech as oe Biden bills himself as a “tranyard with our teenage the first woman and first person of sitional figure”—a bridge to a girls, enjoying one last color elected Vice President of the new era, as America puts Trumpwarm, socially distanced evening United States. ism behind us. with friends who also have teenage During the campaign, the How this will unfold is still undaughters, when Joe Biden deliv- Biden ticket did not go long on clear. Days after every major news ered his victory speech. All the inspiration. Partly it was the fault outlet declared Biden the winner, RUTH CONNIFF major news networks had already of the pandemic, which prevent- Trump was still clinging to the is editor-at-large declared Biden and his running ed rock-concert-style stadium bedpost. “Wisconsin is looking for The Progressive mate, Kamala Harris, the winners. rallies (except for Trump, who very good,” he tweeted, alluding and editor-inWe tuned in just as Harris strode reveled in these superspreader to his plans to demand a recount chief of the state onto the stage in suffragette white, events). Partly, it was the candi- in the state, even though prominews website to the strains of Mary J. Blige sing- date at the top of the ticket, the nent Republicans, including his the Wisconsin ing about being a beautiful queen. oldest man ever elected President Wisconsin campaign chair, former Examiner. Suddenly, unexpectedly, I had of the United States, who, with Governor Scott Walker, had adtears in my eyes. his halting style, sprinkled with mitted Trump will never overcome It’s been a long four years of “by-the-ways” and “here’s-the- Biden’s 20,000-vote lead. “Needs the misogynist, white supremacist deals,” was no Barack Obama. a little time statutorily,” Trump Trump Administration—which Biden’s denunciation of progres- tweeted. “Will happen soon!” began with chants of “lock her up” sive policies toward the end of Then he promised to hold anand moved on to embracing vio- the campaign was downright dis- other superspreader rally in Wislent white nationalists, supporting couraging—a bewildering effort consin. to depress his own base. Shamefully, Republican leaders Harris is no progressive icon at both the state and national level Attacking democracy and increasing the either—despite Trump’s efforts to allowed Trump to continue spinspread of COVID-19 and its mounting portray her as a dangerous social- ning out his fantasy, supporting death toll are now the two key elements of ist. She’s a career prosecutor and him as he ignored reality, refused a center-left Democrat. But as to concede, and cast doubt on the the Republican brand. the race was finally called, Harris entire U.S. elections process, purpolice officers who kill Black peo- brought back the goosebumps and suing frivolous lawsuits and tryple with impunity, and torturing the sense that this election is truly ing to erode the legitimacy of his immigrant children torn from historic. successor. their parents at the border. The symbolism is important, Attacking democracy and inFinally, we’ve made it to the especially after the rightwing back- creasing the spread of COVID-19 other side—to a vision of America lash of the Trump era. And so is and its mounting death toll are that includes powerful women and the sensibility of a Vice President now the two key elements of the people of color, that looks to the who talks about the lessons in so- Republican brand. future instead of wallowing in the cial justice she learned from her What about the Democrats? wounded sense of entitlement of immigrant parents, who embrac- Biden addressed the nation on the those who long for the imaginary es her Black and Indian American Monday morning after being de“greatness” of the past, when racist identities, and who made the Unit- clared the winner. He announced and misogynistic hierarchies were ed States’ scandalously high rate of his coronavirus task force of docstrictly enforced. Black maternal mortality a central tors and scientists, and urged Acknowledging “the genera- issue in her presidential primary Americans to put aside their diftions of women—Black women, campaign. ferences and put on their masks. Asian, white, Latina, Native AmerAs they watched Harris’s his“It doesn’t matter who you voted ican women—who throughout our toric acceptance speech, my kids for,” he said. “We are Americans nation’s history have paved the way were already talking about an and our country is under threat.” for this moment tonight,” Harris AOC presidency. It’s a reasonable position. And THE PROGRESSIVE | 15
