Winners and Losers in 2020 Presidential

Since last night, I've heard and read all sorts of complaints. Donald Trump wants all vote counting to stop and has declared himself the winner. Several have moaned about Democrats' failure to seize control of the Senate. One article in Politico groans that Biden is already screwed. Of course, everyone is blasting pollsters for getting it wrong ... again. There are just two groups who seem to get it. One is the Biden-Harris campaign. The other is the American people. You can discount the former if you wish, but the latter are a lot smarter than we often think. With this in mind, let me name the real winners and losers of this contest. 

Biggest Winner - The American people. Despite what the pundits might say, the American people are collectively pretty smart. They are on the way to handing Joe Biden the Presidency. They are taking it out of the hands of a reality-TV star whose biggest accomplishment over the past four years is his uncanny ability to create chaos wherever he goes. Some adore him. Others detest him. A substantial majority of Americans are simply tired of him. American people did more than vote Trump out. They also rejected the blue wave that many were predicting. 

It seems likely that the GOP will retain control of the Senate. They may even gain ground in the House. This has been a recipe for gridlock in the past, but it's in reality an invitation to come together and listen to each other again. The perfect person to do that as President is Joe Biden.

Winner - Joe Biden. Last night, as votes were being tallied, Joe Biden and Kamala Harris walked out onto a stage decorated with numerous American (not Trump) flags. He delivered a short speech that was perhaps the most effective I've ever heard from him. Unlike his counterpart, he declined to declare victory, but made some important points about Tuesday. 

"Democracy is the heartbeat of this nation," he reminded us. "Here the people rule." He called on all of us to "put the harsh rhetoric of the campaign behind us," to "respect and care for one another,"  "to unite, to heal, to come together as a nation."

He said "we have to stop treating our opponents as enemies." If elected he "will govern as an American President. I will work as hard for those who didn't vote for me as those who did vote for me." He called yesterday's still undecided vote "a victory for the American people." He reminded us there really are "no blue states or red states, just the United States." 

Biden, unlike Trump and Obama before him, can work with Senate Republicans. It's possible that he can deliver something we've been missing for a long time - bipartisan government.

I am hopeful.   

Loser - House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. - Though she has called herself a "great negotiator," she was unable to deliver a deal that would help both the unemployed and small business during this pandemic. Even though the White House was willing to meet her more than half way, she held out in the cynical belief that this stalemate would prevent Trump from claiming any victory before the election. In the process, she hurt the very people that she and Democrats pretend to champion. We need to cleanse ourselves of bitter partisans like her and others who loudly complained when Senator Diane Feinstein dared hug Senator Lindsey Graham at the conclusion of the Amy Barrett confirmation hearings. 

Winner - Northampton County. After a disastrous debut, the Express Vote XL has proven itself to be an excellent voting system, especially now that voters can check in with electronic poll books. Despite all the curveballs thrown by the state, the county's elections office was able to deliver results early yesterday morning. This is a credit to both Elections Registrar Amy Cozze and her Chief Deputy, Amy Hess. It is also a credit to the many hard-working people in that office, who spent weeks getting ready for what appears to have been another flawless election. 

Thanks to a quick tabulation of 80,000 MIBs, we knew early that Biden was the winner in a county Democrats lost four years ago. Northampton has acted as a bellwether for the rest of the state, where things are now going Biden's way.  

Executive Lamont McClure and County Council, to their credit, spared no expense in making sure this was a well-run election. Our elections should get even better now that I am stepping down as a pollworker.    

Loser - Party bosses. GOP Chair Lee Snover actually invited two accused felons to speak at a superspreader rally in Lower Saucon Tp.  She organized a divisive and confrontational counter protest when a group of mostly kids wanted to march in protest of the George Floyd death in Pen Argyl. She is so divisive that she has lost two Vice Chairs since the beginning of the year.

This is not West Virginia.  

As bad as she may be, Dem Party boss Matt Munsey is worse. It's still very unclear whether his party even has a treasurer. His particular talent is recruiting the most extreme Democrats he can find to run for office. To be suitable in his eyes, you must be a transgender pagan who is completely out of touch with ordinary people. If you want to help working people, you're no good. 

Winners - Trump Supporters. While I fail to understand what they see in this incorrigible liar, Donald Trump's supporters  created a lot of enthusiasm for and against their hero. Their flag rallies and car parades struck me as goofy, but they were getting a lot of positive feedback. With some exceptions, they are very nice people.  They were engaged in core political speech, which only makes us better. We need to listen to them instead of hate and try to find a middle ground when we can.  

Loser - Tara Zrinski. She is perfect for  Matt Munsey and might be great as an activist, but should never have run for State Representative in a heavily Republican district. That was simply insane.   

Winner - Moderate Voices in 2021. Had Americans re-elected Donald Trump, there would be a bloodbath for Republicans seeking municipal office next year. Had they elected Biden and tossed out Republicans in the Senate, it would be a bloodbath for Democrats. The American people have spoken, and have made clear they are sick of partisanship,

This is good news for moderates of both parties seeking local office. Lamont McClure, Phil Armstrong and Nat Hyman should do quite well. Extremists like Josh Siegel, Ce-Ce Gerlach and Mark Pinsley? Not so much.  You can be a proud Democrat. You can be a proud Republican.But you should represent everyone.