US Elections - Can Biden make America great again?

The 2020 United States presidential election was the 59th quadrennial presidential election, held on Tuesday, November 3. The candidates for this election were Joe Biden, a member of the Democratic Party, and Donald Trump on the side of the Republican Party. Given the pandemic context and all the major events that took place in 2020, this election was of incredible interest not only for the people of the American state but also to people all over the world. If we think about the episodes that came along with this election, we can realize that this is an episode that will greatly mark the history and the future of the United States of America. For better and correct information, let’s look closer at everything that happened in recent months.

How do presidential elections work?

For a better understanding of the article’s topic, it’s essential to know some elementary information. The Republican Party is also known as GOP (Grand Old Party). The acronym dates back to the 1870s, about the same time the party picked up its elephant logo. Most Republicans favor lower taxes and less government spending on social programs. They believe in less government intervention in business and the economy. Their candidate in this year’s election is President Donald Trump, who is hoping to secure another four years in power. The Democratic Party is the other major contemporary and the oldest existing political party in the United States. Democrats tend to take a liberal stand on an important case, being often referred to as "the Party of the People," attracting immigrants, blue-collar workers, women, and minorities. This year their candidate is Joe Biden, an experienced politician best-known for serving as Barack Obama’s vice president for eight years.

To make a summary of the Presidential Election Process, it’s important to remember that are 4 big steps to perform this procedure:

1. Primaries and Caucuses

Before the general election, most candidates for president go through a series of primaries and caucuses. Though primaries and caucuses are run differently, they both serve the same purpose. They let the states choose the major political parties’ nominees for the general election.

In a caucus, party members select the best candidate through a series of discussion sessions and votes.

In a primary, party members vote for the best candidate who is gonna represent them in the general election.

2. National Convention

After the primaries and caucuses, most political parties hold national conventions. The purpose of this convention is to select a final presidential nominee. Each candidate chooses a vice presidential candidate with whom to run on the ticket.

3. General Election

People in every state vote for one president and vice president. When people cast their votes, they vote for a group of people known as electors, who are supporting the candidate they want to be president.

4. The Electoral College

The number of electors depends on the number of inhabitants in that state. The more people who live in a state, the more electors that state has. The total number of electors is 538. The candidate who gets 270 or more votes becomes the president.

Interactive Election Map by ABC News

National and international impact

The US Presidential Election has always been a topic of major interest, both nationally and internationally, this being seen in the newspapers and the television. It is also a moment of immense cultural power that magnifies America’s global significance. It is not just the US that the election of a new president affects - a new leader in the White House can transform the country's foreign policy and its approach to its friends and foes alike.

The victory of Joe Biden and Kamala Harris, the vice-president, is a source of joy for both American citizens and leaders of countries around the world with which the United States of America can now strengthen its external relations. Among them is Boris Johnson, the UK prime minister "Congratulations to Joe Biden on his election... and to Kamala Harris on her historic achievement. The US is our most important ally and I look forward to working closely together on our shared priorities, from climate change to trade and security", Justin Trudeau, the Canadian prime minister "Congratulations, Joe Biden and Kamala Harris. Our two countries are close friends, partners, and allies. We share a relationship that's unique on the world stage. I'm really looking forward to working together and building on that with you both.", Jens Stoltenberg, the NATO secretary-general declaring the following "I congratulate Joe Biden on his election as the next US President & Kamala Harris as Vice President. I know Joe Biden as a strong supporter of our Alliance & look forward to working closely with him. A strong NATO is good for both North America & Europe" and many other world leaders have extended their congratulations as well. Therefore, the two of them have strong support from other countries.

First Black, South Asian woman vice-president

Let’s not forget that this presidential election is a symbolic event for both America and for women around the world because an independent and inspirational woman has got our back now. 100 years ago women won the right to vote – now Kamala Harris is the first woman (Black and Asian American) elected vice-president of the United States. In her victory speech, Harris paid tribute to the women, particularly Black women, whose shoulders she stands on as she shatters barriers that have kept mostly white men entrenched at the highest levels of American politics for more than two centuries. “While I may be the first woman in this office, I will not be the last,” Harris said in her first post-election address to the nation. A rising star in Democratic politics for much of the last two decades, Harris served as San Francisco's district attorney and California's attorney general before becoming a US senator. After she ended her own 2020 Democratic presidential campaign, Biden tapped her as his running mate.

Fake news and US Election

Misinformation is at a higher level during the presidential election, with millions of people accessing fake news online more often than you think. This information is disseminated to create an imaginary situation with a strong impact on the perception of citizens. More than that, all these had a huge influence on the US Election and led to real-world tension.

Unfounded claims spread rumours and fake information that Joe Biden and the Democrats plan to fraud the election and “steal” votes. There has been no substantial evidence to confirm that. The rumours have not only circulated online but also transcended onto the street, where protestors take their opinion and point of view to an extreme, which can lead to violence and other serious acts.

The people recommended that all the online posts or comments which encourage violence or unethical acts to be reported as soon as possible to maintain peace and order, two things that must be taken seriously, especially during elections or other significant circumstances, where there is always chaos.

Trump’s supporters’ attack

Early images of the U.S. Capitol siege captured the extremism of intruders as the insurrection was broadcast live. There was a bare-chested man in a furry headdress, another wearing an anti-Semitic sweatshirt, a third carrying a Confederate flag. But the reality of the January 6 attack, captured in affidavits and court filings in dozens of criminal cases, is that the crowd included not just fringe radicals but also a broad cross-section of President Trump’s supporters — people with office jobs, kids and mortgages, and otherwise respectable public reputations. The crowd that stormed the Capitol complex as lawmakers certified President-elect Joe Biden’s victory reflected how deeply the false claims over the election results penetrated the psyches of Trump voters, not just those of known conspiracy theorists. Current and former law enforcement officials said a large number of Trump supporters so fervently believe the election was stolen that they are likely to prove to be security risks for months to come. As the assault on the Capitol showed, they said, pro-Trump extremists and loyalists may believe that violence is their only recourse. President Trump - viewed as a hero by the movement - has stopped short of endorsing the conspiracy theory but has described QAnon activists as "people who love our country."

Although the violence at the US Capitol dominated headlines last week, similar smaller incidents were also reported elsewhere in the country. Local police agencies have been told by federal law enforcement to increase security at statehouses, according to US media. FBI warnings are in place for all state capitals from 16 to 20 January itself and in Washington DC at least three days before the inauguration.

The Internet turned on Donald Trump

A movement that has left a strong mark in recent weeks was the decision of the social media platform Twitter, which announced that it permanently suspended Donald Trump from its platform. "After a close review of recent Tweets from the @realDonaldTrump account and the context around them we have permanently suspended the account due to the risk of further incitement of violence," Twitter said. Twitter's decision followed two tweets by Trump Friday afternoon that would end up being his last. The tweets violated the company's policy against the glorification of violence, Twitter said, and "these two Tweets must be read in the context of broader events in the country and how the President's statements can be mobilized by different audiences, including to incite violence, as well as in the context of the pattern of behavior from this account in recent weeks."

The first tweet was about Trump's supporters.

"The 75,000,000 great American Patriots who voted for me, AMERICA FIRST, and MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN, will have a GIANT VOICE long into the future. They will not be disrespected or treated unfairly in any way, shape or form!!!"

Posted by Donald Trump on Twitter

Twitter announced that it banned specifically address “the @realDonaldTrump account”, not Donald Trump personally.

Mark Zuckerberg, the CEO of Facebook, consider to indefinitely suspend Donald Trump’s account because Trump attempts to incite violence and undermine the democratic process. To be clear, Facebook and Twitter did not work together to close Mr. Trump’s accounts. Mark Zuckerberg said in a post that the reason Facebook decided this is because of a rampage by pro-Trump supporters, which was urged on by the president, showed he wanted to undermine the transition to President-elect Joe Biden.

Biden's inauguration -the end of the Trumpism

By law, the inauguration day is always 20 January, Joseph Robinette Biden Jr. being officially sworn in as the 46th president of the United States of America on Wednesday. He promises to take a stand on the economic, health, and educational system, with strong plans to strengthen each. “This is America’s day,” Mr. Biden said as he began his Inaugural Address. “This is democracy’s day.”. But this inauguration could not be without certain twists and turns. For the first time in 150 years, the former president Donald J. Trump did not attend the ceremony, instead of throwing a military-style send-off for himself before leaving for his Florida resort. Trump did not speak to Biden before leaving the White House but left him a note, according to people familiar with the matter.

Among Biden’s plans for office are to rejoin the Paris climate agreement, a global accord that includes the goal to keep temperatures below 2.0C (3.6F) above pre-industrial times and "endeavor to limit" them even more, to 1.5C. The travel ban, signed by Mr. Trump just seven days after taking office in January 2017, will be one of the priority policies to be discarded. Also, he has made commitments to protect LGBTQ+ individuals from gender identity and sexual orientation-based discrimination in employment and to reverse the transgender military ban. As you may see, according to Biden’s statements, Americans can expect significant changes during his mandate.

Can Biden make America great again?

It is only a matter of time before we find out what changes and improvements the new president and the new vice president will implement. Indeed, the situation in America at the moment is not looked upon favorably, especially because of the protests and attacks of the past few days, but let’s be optimistic and look with confidence for the next 4 years.