Joe Biden was always going to have a mandate to govern. A winning margin of over seven million votes against an incumbent president -- one who insisted that the so-called stimulus checks from the 2020 CARES Act be printed with his signature so that voters would get the idea that they should give him thanks for the helicopter money -- is by itself a convincing mandate. Incumbent presidents who run for reelection almost never lose. Putting those pieces together provides President Joe Biden with leadership power that can come only from such clear evidence of the popular will of those who are governed.
Yesterday, January 6, changed all that. President-elect Biden will be inaugurated on January 20 with a mandate to govern based not only on the math and the demographics and the state-by-state map of his victory, but also with the authority that comes from being the sole occupant of the moral high ground on which rests the leadership qualities of the Office of the President.
In contrast, Donald Trump -- loser and outgoing president -- used his time yesterday to cede any possible claim to that high ground by personally inciting a mob of his followers to attempt insurrection against the American government. In doing so, Trump's post-election behavior is perhaps more dishonorable than that of James Buchanan, acclaimed as the worst American president for failing to take action to stop the beginning of the Civil War in 1861.
The story of Trump's vanity project to subvert the election is well-known. Prior to the election I wrote in this space and described him as "un-American" in recognition of his undermining of the country's democratic foundations. Yesterday's events are a direct result of Trump's behavior; NPR has summarized January 6 in a timeline and with revealing photos.
I think we always knew that Trump's version of "law and order" was that of an outlaw. Now that has been confirmed in full view for all the world to see.
As I sit here writing this, there is growing sentiment to hamstring Trump by invoking the twenty-fifth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution and by conducting impeachment. Amendment XXV requires action by the Vice President and the majority of Cabinet members; it would result in Mike Pence, as VP, becoming "acting president." Impeachment is done by Congress, and would end with Trump being evicted from office and -- critically -- being forbidden from holding any elective office in the future.
Whether either of these actions comes to pass is an open question. But even if neither happens, it is clear that Donald J. Trump no longer can claim even a shred of moral authority associated with presidential leadership.
And so we come back to president-elect Joe Biden.
When newly sworn-in, President Biden will be stepping into an office that has been severely damaged by predecessor Trump. There is a leadership vacuum in America, and to prevent that empty space being filled by un-democratic elements Biden will have to occupy it with rapid and decisive actions that are visible and constructive.
He needs to show accomplishments -- the bigger, the better. With Trump reduced to a malign specter, and on the heels of a massive vote win in the November election, Biden has the winds of a governing mandate at his back.
There is always temptation to put up an ordered list for a new president: Do this first, and then that, and for third priority get going on. . . In reality, of course, there are lots of Priority One's, and then there's everything else.
Even so, here's my list of things on which the new President Biden should Go Big: An effective national pandemic strategy with clear, consistent messaging on safety measures, as well as assistance to the States for rapidly administering vaccinations; ensuring that there are consequences for the perpetrators of yesterday's insurrection, including Trump for his subversion of American democracy; an economic stimulus program that pours funding into research and development (especially for non-fossil fuel projects) as well as national infrastructure repair and rebuilding; reforms to immigration policy and practices that encourage and enable legal immigration, while simultaneously reducing motivations for illegal immigration by fixing security and economic problems in certain Central American countries; commitment of U.S. re-engagement with our traditional allies, alliances, treaties and agreements; actions for addressing the emergencies of climate, civil rights, nuclear proliferation, environmental protection, and world-wide human rights and democratic reforms; there's more, but that's a good start.
The downstream effects of what happened yesterday are potentially enormous and for some people they will be dangerous: increased covid-19 infections, hospitalizations and deaths will occur; damage to national security due to theft and vandalism within Congressional offices by the rioters could be significant; Trump's executive actions prior to yesterday, as well as anything he attempts to do over the next two weeks, could be invalidated as a consequence of his subversion of the election. And also, the toxicity of the far-right social media forums that -- as The Washington Post is reporting -- "voice glee in the aftermath" of insurrection must be dealt with as an incubator for domestic terrorism.
All of this shows why we need a professional, knowledgeable, well-populated and experienced Federal government. What is written above is a collection of problems that newly-installed President Biden will face, along with this question: If government doesn't act to solve problems, then what good is it?
President Joe Biden will be dealing with a world that has changed much in the last four years. Some problems are new, and almost all of the same old problems have become bigger and worse over that period. To top that off, the Trump presidency leaves a swamp-like sucking bog of unresolved questions about covert hostile foreign influence that intends damage to American democratic institutions. The report of the Mueller investigation must be revisited, and actions taken based on its findings.
Much time will be needed to score big accomplishments, but -- as the saying goes -- fortune favors the bold. Biden should boldly assert his governing mandate, and relentlessly pursue big solutions and fixes to big problems.
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