Steve Kornacki Explains How Joe Biden Won Pennsylvania – Source
From Tuesday to Saturday, November 3 to 7, millions of Americans waited for the outcome of the presidential election. For many of us, the experience was like tiny groups huddled together on a cold dark night staring out at the horizon wondering if dawn would ever come. We have been haunted by the searing pain of Donald Trump’s surprise victory in 2016. So, we waited. And waited. On Saturday, we saw the first glow of morning dawn: Joe Biden was projected to win Pennsylvania and with that now had the majority votes needed to win the Electoral College.
Joe Biden and Kamala Harris’ electoral victory was hard fought. It was not the blue wave that many had expected would easily sweep the nation. They had campaigned against an unusual opponent. Donald Trump fought hard and dirty to retain the presidency. In defiance of the conventions of modern politics, Trump has indicated that he has no intention of conceding. We should not regard this as bluster but as a serious threat. We need to regard Donald Trump as still a serious threat to America’s democracy.
While Donald Trump may have lost the 2020 election, he still occupies the Oval Office. He still possesses the awesome powers of the presidency. This perilous and precarious situation continues until Trump leaves the White House. As of today, November 7, there still remains seventy-three days remaining to the Trump presidency. For those concerned about the future of America’s democracy, it is important to maintain vigilance. Even as we keep an eye on the countdown clock to Inauguration Day, 20 January 2021, we need to be ready to respond to any attempt by Trump and his supporters to sabotage the transition to the Biden presidency.
Is it possible that we are over-worrying the situation? Yes, that is possible. But then we are talking about Donald Trump. The likely possibility is that with the mainstream media calling Joe Biden the projected winner, power will start flowing away from Donald Trump. It has been reported that shell-shocked White House staffers have been seen just sitting and staring at their desks.The question is whether Donald Trump will accept the election results and support the transition. Or will Trump seek to sabotage the transition?
For now, we should have trust in government employees dedicated to serving the country. We should assume that they are decent men and women who know the difference between right and wrong, and will have the personal integrity to tell Donald Trump the truth, and the moral courage to defy any illegal order coming from Donald Trump. Ordinary citizens should stand on the sidelines and let the presidential transition proceed while being on guard against any Reichstag moment by Trump and his supporters.
President elect Joe Biden and Vice President elect Kamala Harris
We pray that this grim scenario described earlier will not come to pass but that on 21 January 2021, the United States and the world will see the first rays of daylight of the Biden presidency. We pray that the coming days will be marked by healing, clear thinking, and a renewed sense of being one nation and one people.
Ken
References
Ken. “Trump, Hitler, and the Reichstag Fire.” [Part I.] FWIW Politics. com 12 October 2020.
Natashas Korecki, Alex Isenstadt, Anita Kumar, Gabby Orr, Christopher Cadelago, and Marc Caputo. “‘This f—cking virus’: Inside Donald Trump’s 2020 undoing.” Politico 7 November 2020. [A detailed chronology of the two 2020 presidential campaigns.]
YouTube: “Kornacki Explains How Joe Biden Won Pennsylvania | MSNBC.”
Jeff Mason, Steve Holland, Andrea Shalal, Alexandra Alper. “Trump does not plan to concede any time soon, aides and allies indicate.” Reuters 7 November 2020.
Gabby Orr and Meridith McGraw. “‘This is over’: Trump campaign aides grapple with dwindling odds.” Politico.com 6 November 2020.
Countdown to Inauguration 2021 [Countdown clock by the day, hour, minute, and second to 2021 Inauguration Day.]