Biden ushers a new era in American politics.
Seeing an end of a rather unorthodox tenure of Donald Trump in the Whitehouse leaving in an expected undignified manner. The reality star concluded his ‘Trump Show: The Whitehouse’ years with a reference to the narcissistic pompous car crash of a show he made a feature of as President mocking the role of the president. To see the restoration of democratic governance as prior to the years of Trumps battle with the establishment within was alien and something I met with a sigh of relief. Whilst knowing the man who brough shame to the role of president and shrank the role of America leading where others follow a political era defined by populism, nationalism and white supremacy his unwillingness to accept the result of the election crying in anger and outrage that the election result was somehow a fraud is a challenge for both the republic party, the Biden administration with 75 million Americans voting for a leader that would eventually try to overturn democracy in an attempt of a totalitarian coup in the worlds beacon of a democracy.
Bidens speech and inauguration was overshadowed by the event that happened two weeks before Bidens inauguration that changed the tone of his speech and how he approaches his entrance into the white house. Pence’s presence was seen of much important as well as presence of Republican and Democratic politicians. The events of January 6th a terror attack spurred on by the dog whistles and fascism of the then President Donald Trump’s tweets that lead to his account being permanently removed from the social media platform for inciting violence. Putting Americas establishment its politicians at risk of their lives in an attack unlike any other that spawned from Trumps anti-establishment rhetoric. That lead to the Republican party turning their back on him as his supporters came to attack his Vice President Mike Pence as referenced in violent, grim and disgraceful chants that saw Trump becoming the only president to be impeached twice.
Trump leaving in a way that could only be described as cringe as members of his populist cult gathered to watch him depart from power to him moving on from Washington in his comedic beyond satirical farewell or good riddance. The scene of a circling government helicopter blaring out cheesy anthems playing ‘Don’t Stop Believing’ and ‘YMCA’ ironically was a fitting match to the most surreal four years in politics.
Whilst Biden wishes to start the long and arduous clean up mission to repair trust in the establishment and return it to a state of normality in times which aren’t normal for Americans and the world alike. Biden referenced as president from day one he wishes to start the healing of a divided nation and be the president of all not just those who voted for him. A challenging sell that is too much of the former president supporters who didn’t accept the result of the election and see much of the establishment and the truths wouldn’t buy nether the less an essential claim as he as president unlike his predecessor doesn’t want to be defined by ideology and partisan battles and wars with its own. Biden being the oldest president at time of his first inauguration to the role of president enters with what is most likely the most experience being senator and vice president holds decades of experience in the role that his predecessor never had coming from the world of business and reality television. Trump came to ruffle feathers and grow division Biden comes with experience as a senator of bipartisan cooperation reaching across the floor for both respect and support.
His ability to unite rather than divide will be a key sticking point and something he will want to remember for if it is to be only one term in office turning down the pressure on a nation in conflict with itself has been something, he referenced in his speech a spiritual person a devote catholic he brings such principles to the role of president.
Trumps exit from Washington straight to Florida leaves division in the Republic party. Some may question could he be the one to split the republican party? The Grand Old Party how the party is commonly referred to is the most recent example of a third party in American politics to break into the establishment to become one of the two key parties with its founding in the 19th century delivering President Abraham Lincoln to power. Today the party stands as Americas conservative party but the era of Trumps leadership and presidency as a Republican presidency delivered something rather different to what previous Republican presidents and candidates could and was far from the candidate Mitt Romney who stood as the party’s candidate for leader. Trump who is rumoured to have had conversations in his final days of office with his closest aides to set up a new political party to continue to challenge the right-wing establishment politics. The right-wing fascist figure he was the republicans Frankenstein whom they couldn’t tame with ideology far from libertarian conservatism.
He without social media of his own with being removed from most social media accounts will still find the means of how he can speak words to his followers. This is just the beginning he has exclaimed to his followers which is a concern and a headache for Biden and the Republican party. It is an issue for Biden not to be able to command authority that can reach to his adversaries and opposition in times of crisis to gain trust to ensure people comply with restrictions on freedoms and liberties for the protection of public health and the safety of others during the pandemic. For the Republican party do they see a new split due to the size and scale of Trumps support. With the speculation of a new Party, The Patriot Party Wall Street Journal have reported such reports. It’s no surprise to anyone that Trump would cling on to power and attempt to keep the Trump show going as the man fears loss of attention becoming irrelevant and cast away to reports of him become radio silence.
Congress and the new Biden administration have to answer the question of Can they put Trump back in his box? Can the Republican party move on from Trump and Trumpism? Difficult as to win again they would need the votes of Trump supporters. Biden has a hard task ahead his administration and his party want to be able to show the impeachment process and constitution not to be some worthless document and stand behind the principles of democracy and to make America a trusted democracy on the world stage but doesn’t want any drama and conflict from Trump supporters, the erstwhile president himself Donald Trump and congress people who didn’t accept the election result in matter of Impeachment hearings to interfere with Bidens policy agenda and beginning of his tenure. But he wants to ensure the man who refused to accept democracy and brought national shame isn’t to run for office.
In Bidens executive orders and first actions as president he’s shown commitment to show Americas government is moving on and to a different direction no longer moving back and retreating to a regressive bigoted nationalist bubble that is founded on racism, transphobia, ableism or homophobia. In his first speech as president, he didn’t wish to paint such a vivid picture of what he wanted his legacy on or give much of a scrupulous insight to his first months of office how he plans to handle the crisis that is the coronavirus being largely vague and spiritual but not giving such an optimistic picture a message of patriotism but real concern and channelling the angst of the recent attack on democracy. I can see why after four years of carnage and fear for many American’s he didn’t want to give a false hope of optimism with being in a greatest crisis since peacetime. To some his words would sound dystopian as summed up by David Runciman on the Talking politics podcast. In his speech however people deserved a sign of gratitude to the frontline workers throughout the pandemic who have sacrificed their lives for others the need to trust the establishment and science. But emphasising what liberalism means in a modern world which is important in making the case of healing a split nation. America deserved to be remembered what free and transparent media means, freedom from torture, toleration. Emphasising such values is important for a Democrat president after four years of an experiment of totalitarianism in the nation which is supposedly the birthplace of modern liberal democracy.
On his first day he was met with signing several executive orders that stated the tone of what as leader he wants to represent. A president who is seen to be ‘woke’ has pleased many environmentalists on re-joining the Paris Climate Agreement, re-joining the World Health Organisation, revoking the ban of migration and travel from Muslim countries, encouraging citizens to wear masks for the first hundred days he is in office to prevent the spread of the coronavirus in federal land and properties, an incitive to deliver racial equity, stop the construction of the wall at the United States and Mexican border that Trump promised as his key polices at time of getting to office, extending a pause on the loans of students. With one intended to support the rights of trans American citizens right to combat in sport of their gender and prevented from being discriminated against in competition because of gender and sexuality has been met with a tirade of transphobic abuse and hate speech on twitter claiming that the new president has erased the existence of women but recognising trans women as women.
The Biden administration is rightly to be met with cautiousness and some scepticism from some about how progressive he will be which matches the questions about much of Americas state bodies like ICE and Police forces as they fail to protect citizens. Some are sceptical of how far he will be able to go of removing the inequalities faced by many Americans due to how unable America is to move on from its past and to rethink how its governed defend by a centuries old constitution it is reasonable to see the concerns from many Americans who want to embrace a more progressive politics bolder than the president’s own. Nether the less it should be a case to see Americas establishment moving forward and progressing beyond the last four years of politics and is again leading on the world stage.
Bidens administration is something that political parties should look to Starmer and Davey could learn form how to make liberalism work in modern politics. How to make progressivism work if it is to defeat our Trumpian government in Downing street.
Where America leads again its where others may follow. But with caution after all if the last era of politics is to teach us anything in democracies can be tried and tested when it is volatile. After all who knows what politics will be like next. This year may deliver some answers.
