he United States election was last night, and 24 hours later, a winner has not yet been decided between Democratic nominee Joe Biden and the current US President Donald Trump. In such an unprecedented year in history, the voter turnout was the largest it's been in more than a century, and as the votes come in, it's becoming increasingly clear that America is incredibly divided, contrary to what many talking heads spewed on a plethora of networks about a Biden blowout in recent months. Trumpism wins regardless of the outcome of this election, and currently, Trump's presidency currently hangs in the balance.
Despite Democrats still having easier paths now for Biden to win the presidency than their rivals, they lost seats in the House, and the expectation of a blue wave has become nothing short of a dream. This election is one of the most tightly contested elections in memory, and the contrast between rural voters who primarily favor Trump and urban voters who favor Biden has never been more clear. Biden's ability to govern will be much harder with a House dominated by the Republicans even if he wins, and many Democrats feel that regardless of the outcome of this election, this was a setback in their quest to have their ideals dominated throughout the nation as a cohesive unit.
On election night, Trump was ahead of Biden by 350, 000 votes in Georgia, and that lead has shrunk dramatically, with Trump up by a mere 33 000 votes 24 hours later. If Biden wins Georgia, he will reach the magical 270 electoral votes required to win the presidency, and 98 percent of votes in that state has been counted in what is proving to be very suspenseful time for all parties involved.
The Trump campaign filed lawsuits claiming voter fraud against the results that are coming out of Michigan now that Biden was declared the winner in that state, and in Pennsylvania, they are suing to cease vote counting in that state "until there is meaningful transparency and Republicans can ensure all counting is done above board and by the law". Despite there being absolutely no evidence of voter fraud, Trump's polarizing presence and influence makes this a dangerous tactic, especially with the insanely close margins of victories in many states.
Trumpism Doesn't Die With Trump's Defeat
Donald Trump is merely a symptom of the country's problems, and Trumpism who many experts failed to see coming was the silent majority who came in droves at the voting booths. The "Make America Great Again" slogan, represented a great deal of pride and a "perceived" nostalgia for many Americans, as evidenced by his 48 percent share of the popular vote. One could have argued that Trumpism was a fluke back in 2016, mainly because of the massively perceived elitism of Hillary Clinton, the overall fatigue of the established politician and the desire for something unique, as well as Trump's anti political correctness. There was the hope that the results of the 2016 election wasn't a true indicator of what the country truly believed in, and that this was just a blip in the radar in the nation's history.
However, fast forward 4 years and it is clear things have been trending in the opposite direction, putting a nail in the coffin to that argument. The argument of a fluke has long since sailed with 40 to 44 percent which is where Trump has polled during his presidency in the last 4 years and the fact that approximately 68 million Americans voted for the current commander in chief this time around. In fact, with these numbers, it is safe to say that Trumpism is a mere reflection of the country's other half.
Now that approximately 230,000 Americans have died from COVID-19 and counting, many pundits have pointed out that the pandemic must be Trump's undoing. However, as of November 4th, Trump has garnered 3 million more votes across the country than he did 4 years ago, despite everything that has happened in the last 4 years and the constant rhetoric coming from the president. Trumpism is here to stay, because one cannot repudiate a value system that almost half of the United States voted for. Perhaps it's apart of who America is, and it is time to accept it.
