I am now pretty confident Joe Biden will be our next President AND I am depressed as all hell

[Tom Rinaldo]

...about the nation that we live in. It doesn't help at all that it seems most likely that Republicans will retain control of the Senate which will severely curtail Biden's ability to make essential fundamental structural changes. Still we will once again have an Attorney General who believes in the rule of law. We will have directors of our various intelligence agencies who are not covertly assisting Putin. Biden won't be able to get a Treasury Secretary confirmed through the Senate who strongly advocates a progressive path forward, but he will be able to get some competent moderate type Democrat confirmed. There are still two or three Republican Senators who will allow Biden to appoint his own team to the Cabinet, as long as his picks are moderate technocrats and not perceived as seeking to implement an overtly progressive agenda. The EPA will once again be headed by someone who believes in science, for example, and Biden's FDA head will also.

That's the relatively positive way of looking at the probable result, and the net positives of having a Biden presidency replace a Trump presidency are far from being insignificant. But the fact remains: Far, far too many Americans seem perfectly willing to let Trump lead America toward increased racial animosities and autocratic rule, which bodes poorly for our immediate future as a nation. It is deeply sobering and disturbing to confront this truth, though with Joe Biden and Kamala Harris in the White House, we will remain in the fight for a better America.

[ProudMNDemocrat]

1. Trump is facing LEGAL and FINANCIAL problems.

His future does not look so rosy.

[Tom Rinaldo]

7. I agree about that

Somehow I suspect that, behind the scenes perhaps, negotiations will go on in both the Federal and State capitals that will result in the book not getting thrown at Trump, out of concern about triggering off serious right wing violence if it was. This is pure speculation on my part, but at minimum I think Trump would have to plead guilty to some charge and suffer some fines and asset confiscation to avoid jail. Nothing severe enough to put him in the poor house or lose his flagship properties, but an on the record conviction and rebuke. That won't help Trump with his private creditors however. It would not be justice either, but I think pragmatic considerations will intercede and get in the way of that.

[Roland99]

14. and we'll still likely have a repuke Senate that will hinder prosecution/progress

Pelosi and the House Dems need to put serious public pressure on McConnell to stop obstructing and do so DAILY!

[ProudMNDemocrat]

19. State crimes are exempt from Federal laws.

Trump is in trouble in NYC and NY State.

If Trump loses, there is nothing that can be done to protect him.

[BernieBabies]

2. We are just seeing what's been in their hearts all along.

I remember my crazy cousins feeling this way in the 1970's. He is reflecting them, not the other way around.

[PubliusEnigma]

3. It's always darkest before the Dawn.

[Blasphemer]

4. The USA crossed the rubicon in 2016. There is no turning back... nt

[Happy Hoosier]

5. I agree.

I think we will win. barely, perhaps, but a win. I am sad and depressed that so many MAGAts seem to have simply doubled down on this con man. The Senate is out of reach which means no real progress, but the damage can be stemmed, perhaps. Then in two years, we have to be ALL-IN on the Senate.

And keep your heads on a swivel. If (as seems likely now), Biden wins, I expect some right-wing violence.

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

6. I am also depressed, despite the likely win, because (silly me) I thought

we as a country were better than one that would happily elect a corrupt, cruel psychopath; that any significant number of people would think Trump was even marginally qualified to be on the city council of an obscure small town in Alabama. I live in a very blue bubble so I never see Trumpers; I've always thought of them as something like chupacabras or yetis - ugly, awful, dangerous, but not actually real. And yet there are millions of them trying to make life hell for the rest of us. Very depressing.

[rso]

8. Biden

Biden can get progressives in the Cabinet by designating Acting Secretaries, just like Donnie did.. Two can play this game.

[murdock744]

9. At this point

I'm more than content to put big ticket items on the back burner in exchange for a sane Coronavirus response and repairing the damages to foreign policy as well as the federal agencies that Trump has spent the last 4 years trashing.

Reforming the Court systems as well as things like the Green New Deal will simply have to wait, it's the reality of the situation.

[Turin_C3PO]

13. Yes.

Spend the next two years fixing Trump’s mess and in 2022 we’ll hopefully take the Senate. The 2022 Senate map is far more favorable to Dems than 2020 was.

[mtnsnake]

10. Same overall feelings for me.

Nice post. Thank you.

[sop]

11. Joe can just add "Acting" to his cabinet picks.

[Tom Rinaldo]

12. Yup, you are the second person who pointed that out

And after what Trump got away with, Biden should use that option when needed, as long as the people who he appoints are competent and qualified, which of course they will be if Biden appoints them.

[PirateRo]

15. Agree.

I have to say, I grew up in a NYC with a lot of hate. The local newsstand guy would slip me the Crusader and Daily Storm-something-or-other when I stopped by to pick up a newspaper for my grandfather because I looked “like one of the good ones”. I was maybe eight.

Over the years, I saw less and less of this and then came Malcom x and the Black Panthers and then nothing for a long time. I thought we’d left this all behind.

Then, I took the kids on a road trip to Disney World. I saw monuments to the confederacy, white men talked about OUR history, black women talked about THEIR history. It was disorienting and frightening.

I have to say, I am disgusted. Joe will win but you know what? Much of the country does t deserve his leadership. I am embarrassed for him, a good man trying to do the right thing, and the worthless groups that simply chose to fail to rise to the occasion.

[skip fox]

16. Well said.

This captures what I've been thinking/feeling since 5 am.

[NEOBuckeye]

17. McConnell can be posterized; Use him as a punching bag. He is the new (old) face of the GOP

He represents everything wrong with the Republican Party. A mean, nihilistic, racist old man who steals from the young and laughs in your face. What could make an uglier and more damning face for the entrenched monied elites (e.g. Charles Koch, Rupert Murdoch, Sheldon Adelson, etc.)?

[BBbats]

18. I am depressed as well!

This election shouldn't of been this close.
My suburb of Philadelphia has a lot of Trump supporters. Many of them are people you would accept as nice rational people. I could see them falling for Trump's BS once but a second time? After these last four years? I can't grasp it!

In 2008 there was a guy named Ron who used to come into the music/vinyl/CD shop I worked at. He was a political science/ law student at University of PA.I was excited about Obama running and told him how great I thought it was. He just shook his head and stated that as a Black man the last thing he wanted to see was a Black man become President after Bush Jr. When I asked why he said that Obama would be a good choice and probably win two terms the backlash to his Presidency would be unbelievable. Liberal people,who you think aren't racist,will be seething inside at the sight of a Black President. Working class people will be very upset.A Black president will deeply disturb so many and they probably won't show it.You can expect the absolute worst son of a bitch to follow playing on that hate.
He was right!

[robbob]

23. But that's the same thinking that said "you can't have a black QB in the NFL"

Or a black foreman on a factory line. Or a female boss. The potential reaction of racist dinosaurs can’t be allowed to impede social progress.

[Tommymac]

20. I'm not depressed. I am MOTIVATED

To keep working to win more seats in 2022.

I am not giving up hope for this year either. Still some paths open.

It's going to take years to clean up 40 years of Rethuglican fuckery.

I'll be happy - belay that - grateful and excited to have a sane President and a functional Executive Branch.

My bar is not set to high...this time.

[niyad]

21. KNR

[Tom Rinaldo]

22. To be clear. I'm depressed over America today but was terrified about possible 4 more years of Trump

and the damage that would do to our nation. I couldn't handle the nightmarish thought of a second Trump inaugural address, I could barely imagine the horror Barr would pursue with "his" Justice Department during four more years in office. A second term of an American President cheer leading the fossil fuel industry would have produced irreparable damage to the environment.

So stepping back from my intense disappointment with the state of the electorate in America today, I do still realize that there is every reason to believe that we just dodged an artillery shell, and for that I am extremely grateful. Perhaps having sane, competent, and empathetic leadership flowing from the White House can lay the psychological and political groundwork needed so that Americans will restore a Democratic Senate majority in 2022, clearing the way for the sweeping changes that we need in our government to finally proceed unhindered by Republican obstruction with the work at hand.

[robbob]

24. Here's a thought to cheer you up...

I just went through this with my sister. Getting rid of tRump means getting rid of Bill Barr (and hopefully opening up investigations into tRumps corruption).

Also no more Jared and Ivanka. Not to mention the Queen of Corona Melania...

Feel free to add more “people who won’t be missed” to this list...