November 2020 Column Daily Hampshire Gazette
Mr. Biden, You are the President We Need
Dear President Election Biden: Congratulations on your recent victory.
Thank you for saving our country ( at least for the time being) from an incipient authoritarian thugocracy. Thank you also for your promise that you will be the president of all Americans. That is what any president should be and the opposite of what Donald Trump has been. You repeatedly set the right tone in that regard throughout your campaign.
For example, this is what you said in your October 27 speech in Warm Springs Georgia.
“I’m running as a proud Democrat, but I will govern as an American President. I’ll work with Democrats and Republicans. I’ll work as hard for those who don’t support me as for those who do. That’s the job of a President, a duty of care for everyone. This place, Warm Springs, is a reminder that though broken, each of us can be healed. That as a people and a country, we can overcome this devastating virus. That we can heal a suffering world. And yes, we can restore our soul and save our country”.
Unfortunately, you will face an uphill battle. According to a survey of the Pew Research Center: “Overwhelming majorities of both Biden and Trump supporters say that if the other candidate wins in November they would not only be very concerned about the country’s direction, but that this would lead to lasting harm to the nation.
Fully 90% of Biden supporters say this about the prospect of Trump’s reelection, while 89% of Trump supporters say this about the prospect of Biden as president.
Reaching out to Republicans and conservatives in a respectful manner would be a giant step in the right direction. Yes, the officials of the Republican Party have been utterly disreputable during the Trump years. However, if we are to escape an increasing national polarization that feeds on itself, you should publicly acknowledge that many citizens who voted for Trump have legitimate grievances. For one example among many, the globalist approach to international trade, through so- called free trade agreements, did lead to manufacturing to move overseas, resulting in millions of Americans losing their well paying jobs in factories.
Overall, differences are not about moral character or level of intelligence. They are about different priorities: For example, polling indicates that Republicans are more concerned about the economy than the covid pandemic. For Democrats the priorities are reversed.
Republicans and Democrats are both concerned about both racial injustice and law and order. However, according to a Time magazine survey, Democratic Defectors ( those who voted for Barack Obama but switched to Donald Trump) “ were fine with…Black Lives Matter, but it was a step too far to cut funding for the police.”
Democrats believe that fighting climate change is an urgent matter requiring major changes in the economy such as ending the use of fossil fuels. Many Republicans are concerned that Democratic proposals like the Green New Deal will cost them their jobs. If prohibiting fracking, for example, endangered the jobs of college professors, social workers and white collar office workers, Democrats might not be so eager to end fracking either.
My 40 year of experience living in a deep blue county in a blue state leads me to request that you speak to your supporters , liberal/ progressive/ democratic socialist, about their role in a reconciliation process. Encourage them to self censor any condescension and disrespect for blue collar, rural and religious fundamentalist Americans.
Promote a positive narrative about our country. America is a wonderful country but there is no such thing as a perfect country. Let’s work towards continuous improvement not perpetual condemnation. For example, reject the New York Times version of American history. A version that says that America was founded on racism in 1619 and is still a racist country . Instead, commit to fighting racism where it still exists . “All men are created equal” is a founding principle of our country, proclaimed in the Declaration of Independence in 1776. We are a good country still plagued by racism. Let’s work together to fix it.
Support free speech for everyone. That must include conservatives on college campuses and Republicans who live in overwhelmingly Democratic communities. That includes Gazette columnists and letter writers who have something nice to say about Donald Trump. Condemn police brutality whenever it occurs . At the same time, thank the preponderance of police officers who put their lives on the line to protect us. Their lives matter, too.
You are a man of faith. Use your bully pulpit to emphasize that no one has a monopoly on God. Decent, intelligent people can have different public policy preferences based on their different understanding of religious teachings
Mr. President Elect, you are the president we need in these perilous times. You now have enormous responsibilities , including getting the coronavirus pandemic under control and getting the economy moving in a direction that benefits all Americans. Those are monumental tasks in themselves. However, in my opinion, moving the people of our country to be more accepting of each other would be the greatest accomplishment of them all. That way, to borrow your words “we can restore our soul and save our country”.