The 2020 American Presidential election has left the United States so intolerably divided that the nation known as the leader of the world now risks being ridiculed by those it has always sought to lead. A fractured America is a weakened America, one that will soon become vulnerable to the attacks of its enemies.
Today, the nation that has done everything to force democratic practices on other nations is now in need of being schooled on the subject matter. As the President-Elect, Joe Biden has aptly said in his statement, America is currently at a time when it needs to unite, a time to heal. There are deep divisions along the political lines. The Republicans and the Democrats have railed accusations and counter-accusations against each other. There are also deep divisions along racial lines, with tensions among them rising to an all-time high.
America is today back to the point where it was at the time of Watergate Scandal, which left a deep dent on the country’s democracy. Interestingly, one of the key players in that ugly phase of the country’s history, President Gerald Ford, wrote his memoir with the title “A Time to Heal.”
Watergate Scandal was an assault on America’s democratic culture, a negation of the ideals of fairness, decency, and truth. It was a tale of an effort to undercut the democratic process in the self-acclaimed master of democratic processes. That assault has almost played out in the whole drama surrounding the current election. What has happened in the United States this year, however one looks at it, has brought America’s claims to the ideals of democracy to question. This is so because some of the actions of the key players, including out-going President Trump, have challenged the basis of free and fair elections.
For reasons best known to them, Americans, whether white or people of colour, in the exercise of their hard-won franchise as free citizens, have placed their trust in Biden and Vice President-elect Harris as their leaders for the next four years.
But, for reason also best known to him, Trump has resisted that move by the Americans, choosing instead to raise all forms of obstacles to a smooth process of electing a president.
“In the face of unprecedented obstacles, a record number of Americans voted. Proving once again, that democracy beats deep in the heart of America,” Biden said.
America’s situation right now is pitiable. While Biden is thanking Americans for putting so much faith in him and Vice President-elect Harris, Trump fires back, saying that the same Americans “know why Joe Biden is rushing to falsely pose as the winner, and why his media allies are trying so hard to help him: they don’t want the truth to be exposed”.
This is dangerous. It does not help America’s image that in this election neither of the candidates is willing to concede defeat. And the longer this position persists, the deeper the divide will become and invariably the longer the national healing will take to come. With Trump insisting that “this election is far from over,” and that “Joe Biden has not been certified as the winner of any states, let alone any of the highly contested states headed for mandatory recounts, or states where our campaign has valid and legitimate legal challenges that could determine the ultimate victor,” it is it clear the impasse could drag for a while.
Biden believes that with the campaign over, “it’s time to put the anger and the harsh rhetoric behind us and come together as a nation”. That is as it should be. But for now, that belief only applies to him, for his opponent thinks otherwise. In fact, for Trump, there are battles ahead.
“Beginning Monday, our campaign will start prosecuting our case in court to ensure election laws are fully upheld and the rightful winner is seated. The American People are entitled to an honest election: that means counting all legal ballots, and not counting any illegal ballots,” Trump said.
