San Francisco Chronicle - (Sunday)
Biden backers rejoice as Trump fans fume
As soon as the news buzzed on their phones, Americans gathered spontaneously on street corners and front lawns — honking their horns, banging pots and pans, starting impromptu dance parties — as a vitriolic election and exhausting fourday wait for results came to an end Saturday morning. And for all that joy, there was sorrow, anger and mistrust on the other side.
Across the United States, the dramatic conclusion of the 2020 election was cathartic. Just after news organizations declared that former Vice President Joe Biden beat President Trump, fireworks erupted in Atlanta. In Maine, a band playing at a farmers’ market broke into the Battle Hymn of the Republic.
People waved Biden signs from car windows and balconies, and a huge proBiden crowd gathered in the streets outside the White House. In New York City, some stopped their cars wherever they happened to be, got out and danced in the streets. Car horns and bells echoed through neighborhoods across Puerto Rico. In Louisville, Ky., Biden supporters gathered on their lawns to toast with champagne. In Kansas City, they swayed in a park to the song “Celebration” by Kool & the Gang.
Trump’s supporters have for days been protesting outside of ballotcounting operations, alleging without evidence that the slowmoving results were proof of cheating. “This isn’t over! This isn’t over! Fake news!” some shouted Saturday as about 1,000 gathered at the Georgia State Capitol after the election was called.
But across America, it was mostly the Democrats taking to the streets in jubilant displays, celebrating what was to them an end to four years of constant crises, chaos and anxiety.
In New York City, some chanted “the nightmare is over.”
“It’s surreal, I feel like I’m free from the clutches of evil,” said Lola Faleit, a 26yearold human resources manager. “In 2016, we woke up crying. Today we are celebrating. Look, the sky is clear blue, the sun is out, Mother Nature is celebrating, too.”
The news for some collided with the constant churn of crises the country has faced — the coronavirus pandemic that has killed more than 236,000 Americans, the economic recession that accompanied it, gun violence and police killings that have forced a national reckoning on racism.
“America can exhale. Decency, civility and democracy won,” said Fred Guttenberg, who became an outspoken opponent of the president after his 14yearold daughter Jaime was one of 17 slain by a gunman at Florida’s Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in 2018.
In Minneapolis, Ella Mitchell, 30, and Pardha Ponugoti, 29, visited the memorial at the street corner where George Floyd died. Ponugoti said it was important to be at the Floyd memorial to mark Biden’s win.
“It’s like a reminder of the problems that still exist in our society,” he said. “Just because Biden is president doesn’t mean that all these systemic issues are fixed.”
For many, Nov. 7 at 11: 25 a. m., became a moment of such historic magnitude that they say they will forever remember what they were doing, even those engaged in the most mundane weekend activities.
Retired teacher and school principal Kay Nicholas, 73, was vacuuming in her home northwest of Detroit when she heard Biden had been declared the winner.
“All I could say is ‘ Thank God,’ ” she said, choking up.
“It has nothing to do with Democrat or Republican. It has to do with decency. This country has got integrity and hopefully we can get decency. I think Joe Biden can do it and bring back kindness.”
In Atlanta, Kristin Felder, 36, found out while she was delivering a Panera food order for DoorDash.
“The lady I was delivering it to said, ‘ Biden won!’ And I said, ‘ Oh, my God!’ ” she related. She started crying, and she canceled her next delivery to join an impromptu party gathering in midtown Atlanta, where people banged pots and pans, wept together, and toasted with champagne.
Scott VanderWal, a farmer in Volga, S. D., said he heard the news as he was loading hay bales into his barn. Unlike those celebrating in the streets, he said he was disappointed, but held out a glimmer of hope that Trump could still contest the results and find path to victory.
“I wouldn’t say it’s totally over until all the legal avenues are exhausted,” he said.
Dozens of the president’s backers began gathering, too, from North Dakota to Georgia to the election tabulation center in downtown Phoenix, where counting remains under way.
Shortly after the news broke, Jake Angeli yelled, “This election has not been called!” shouted Angeli, a regular at proTrump rallies who typically wears a wooly fur hat with horns. He remained hopeful: “Trump always looks like he’s going to lose. And then he wins.”
Chris Marks from Traverse City, Mich., also expressed distrust in how the votes were counted, even suggesting all the votes should be recounted, or that the country should hold another election.
“I’m surprised they didn’t just declare the winner before the elections,” he said.
Claire Galofaro is an Associated Press writer.