THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA AN INTERNATIONAL PERSPECTIVE
Seldom has the rest of the world watched a U.S. presidential election as closely as it did in 2020. Can Joe Biden succeed? Has the election sealed the political fate of Donald Trump? An analysis by Professor Thomas Jäger.
You are considered one of Europe’s leading experts on the United States, Professor Jäger. Can Joe Biden succeed in uniting a deeply divided country?
THOMAS JÄGER: Biden has defined reconciliation as the central task of his presidency, and that’s a good thing. Polarization is the most serious problem in American politics today. Often the two sides are not capable of even discussing the issues, much less arriving at a compromise. Often they can’t even agree on what they disagree about. This polarization is being sustained by the media, with citizens on the left and right reading and listening only to viewpoints that confirm their existing worldview. And to solve that problem America needs a new media policy.
How can Biden hope to be a strong president under these circumstances?
Throughout his career Biden has promoted reconciliation. His moderating influence is a solid prerequisite for bringing different interests together and arriving at a compromise. It may not be the best path to becoming a strong president, but we have seen others reinvent themselves in the office. Biden’s speeches have tended to generalize. He needs to be more specific now.
What about Kamala Harris as vice president? Do you expect her to play an important role in the new administration or be relegated to obscurity?
Harris’s presidential candidacy failed in the primary campaign because she was unable to make any positions clear. She is a professional politician, meaning deep convictions don’t prevent her from taking flexible positions. We can expect Biden to create a role for her akin to the one Barack Obama created for him. She has an independent mind and will sometimes contradict the president. That ensures the White House will keep reexamining its policies.
How difficult will it be for the Democrats to get things done with such narrow majorities in the House and Senate?
One big advantage that Biden has over Obama is that not only does Biden have very close ties on the Democratic side of the Senate, he is well connected on the Republican side as well. We’ll have to wait and see how much that ultimately helps him.
What does Trump’s defeat mean for the Republicans?
It’s a sobering thought for the Democrats that 74 million Americans voted not just for Donald Trump but also for his brand of national populism. Most Republican voters and elected officials are still standing by “their” president. For a majority of the Republican electorate Trump is still the most popular figure, and his national populism will likely dominate the Republican Party for a long time to come. Anyone seeking to lead the party will have to do it with, and not against, Donald Trump.
Is Trump in trouble going forward?
Many expected that Trump would go straight from the White House to the courtroom. While it is going to take time, there are potentially numerous civil and criminal proceedings that are pending against the former president, both as an entrepreneur and a private citizen. Therefore life could become very complicated for him.
How can America start to heal from the strain of the enormous sociopolitical rift between left and right?
The people have to be able to talk to one another again, not shout at one another in the streets as they wave their respective flags and hurl taunts and jeers. Begin by giving one another the benefit of the doubt, that intentions are pure at heart and that the other side is not actively seeking the downfall of the nation. While that may not be true in every person’s case, a level playing field in this regard could allow for building back the social structures of communication and cooperation that enabled progress despite differing opinions and values. Work backward from an ideological deadlock to determine the most basic patch of common ground and the precise point at which the views diverged. For instance, regardless of one’s viewpoint on immigration, the common ground might be that no one wants to overtax the nation’s ability to provide for people. Such an intellectual exercise enables a more specific and reasonable conversation on how to proceed toward goals like security and prosperity.