By Kenneth Tiven in the USA
This evening in America, the contrast between the two men trying to win the Presidential election is a study in contrasts. Joe Biden is confident that his lead in four states will grow with the final count pushing him past the 270 necessary to win to nearly 303 electoral votes. Meanwhile in the White House, President Donald Trump is pondering the fate he hates most–being fired by the voters– and starting to doubt the competence of his legal team dealing with voting issues in at least four states.
In a speech broadcast late in the evening on news channels and television networks, Biden, accompanied by his vice presidential running mate Kamala Harris, communicated the need to be patient and let the election system count every vote and conclude the election, which he believes he will win.
Any solution to economic trouble depends on solving the pandemic, says Biden, who believes that as president of all the people he can make that happen.
Republican politicians are in a difficult position, trapped between reality and their fealty to a President who demands intense personal loyalty. The better-known people working for the President are avoiding the claims of fraud that dominated Trump’s briefing yesterday.
UN Ambassador Nikki Haley said, “He (Trump) and the American people deserve transparency and fairness as the votes are counted. The law must be followed. We have to keep the faith that the truth will prevail…All votes that are *legally* cast should be counted.”
“Voter fraud is poison to self-government, so these are major allegations,” said Senator Ben Sasse of Nebraska. “If the President’s legal team has real evidence, they need to present it immediately to both the public and the courts. In the meantime, all legal votes need to be counted.”
Pennsylvania Senator Patrick J. Toomey rejected Trump’s claims about fraud, choosing instead to stand with the voters he represents. Likewise, Sen. Ron Johnson from Wisconsin–a firm Trump supporter–embraced the reality of Trump’s position on a radio interview.
Though generally mild in their criticisms, many top elected officials are refusing to echo Trump’s attacks on the electoral system and mail-in ballots. Trump complained he “won” several swing states in which Biden is leading him on Friday morning, claiming he will take it to the Supreme Court and that “there’s going to be a lot of litigation because we have so much evidence, so much proof.” The fallout from a loss will present enormous problems for a Republican Party forced to confront the reality of the past four years. Misinformation and falsehood will likely endure past Trump’s presidency just as it existed before he took office, forcing the Republican Party to continually seek a balance, if such a thing is possible.
Read Also: Plea in Supreme Court asks for direction to Maharashtra governor to nominate MLCs from quota