[ad_1]
After spending two weeks here, healing the divided states sometimes seems like an impossible dream.
For me, COVID-19 has made America lonely and depressing in places – the virus has taken away its buzz and vibe.
It feels like the United States is in mourning and wants to recover, but does not know how.
I have been surprised and impressed by the acceptance of the virus here, now it is part of everyday life.
But ultimately, it appears that the coronavirus has defeated the United States and taken away some of its greatness.
I have spent a lot of time in the United States during the last three elections, visiting more than 20 states.
It feels like the United States is in a long, slow rut.
Political apathy, anger, and shame are more pronounced. So is economic lethargy. The division is everywhere: it can be for something as practical as the use of masks; some are in favor, some are not.
Another example is the way the response to COVID-19 is a strongly separate argument about health versus the economy.
And on racial discord: where one side sees protests, the other sees looting.
The marked lines are everywhere.
Now, there is an electoral result that adds a massive line of red against blue.
This makes things even more complex: 69 million of them have voted for Trump, which is not a repudiation of Trumpism.
And Biden’s victory is not a resounding endorsement of his policy either: it has prevailed. The impetus came from people’s hatred of Trump, rather than Biden himself.
Underneath all of this is a great country, full of incredible people where the ‘American Dream’ still seems possible.
I find it difficult to see how people could vote for an administration that has failed so much with the coronavirus. Like so many kiwis, I often wonder how people came to vote for Trump.
Then I spend some time here and I see Trump and the virus in the midst of a much greater social unrest from which there seems to be no way out. Then I begin to understand why people voted for him, still vote for him, and in many cases have a fanatical and religious fervor for him.
The problems here are so urgent: the coronavirus, the racial divide, and the economy need immediate intervention. America’s need for a broader healing is also urgent. The question is whether Biden is up to the task.
Looking at Biden closely, his platform is essentially a return to normalcy – the pragmatic pre-Trump administration. When it comes to healing America, will it be enough?
Maybe it will, but maybe not. Maybe it’s the same old way that brought them here. Perhaps the United States needs more, much more.
It is one thing to say “I will rule for all” and another to do so, especially if they do not want it and are not inspired.
Then Biden has this one chance: If he lets it slip, America will continue to lose itself.
Patrick Gower is the national correspondent for Newshub.
