Joe Biden, dream believer

Today, shortly before 12 noon, America executed a 180-degree turn, choosing to be led by a flawed, emotional Irish-American, rather than an egomaniacal builder millionaire and TV reality host.

After eight years of the professorial calm of Barack Obama, America chose to do something entirely different, and now has U-turned to Joe Biden, who was No. 44’s loyal vice president.

Taking the oath today marked the successful end to a campaign that dated back to at least 1988, the first time Biden ran for president. So that’s 33 years we know of, and the presidential hunger must have existed for years before his candidacy. So cheers to Uncle Joe — persistence paid off, as well as his moderate (for Democrats) path.

He wasn’t my candidate, but he is my president.

Donald J. Trump was not my candidate, but he was my president.

If you bemoan the division and hatefulness in America, but you don’t accept the occupant in the White House, you are part of the problem.

After arriving in D.C. Tuesday night, the oldest incoming president Biden, Dr. Jill, triple “first” box-checker Kamala Harris (woman, Black, South Asian), and her husband, memorialized the 400,000 American COVID dead, something Trump never managed to do. 

I believe the coronavirus broke Trump’s presidency because enough Americans believed he was to blame to cause his loss. Enough Americans believed he underplayed its seriousness in the early stages, as reported by Bob Woodward, and enough Americans were offended by his poo-poohing the early reports, and his baseless beliefs the plague would end by itself, by a “miracle,” by Easter.

Although he survived a bout with the virus, in a figurative sense, it killed Trump.

Plenty of Americans still believe his bullshit, but not enough to re-elect him. Had he shown any empathy early on, he might have managed a win. Had Twitter taken away his account three months ago, he might have pulled it out.

But his perceived heartlessness, belligerence and ignorance fed the forces arrayed to stop him.

To this day Trump claims the election was rigged, yet across the nation other Republicans won state and county races, while Trump lost his.

So only a part of the election was rigged? How can you believe that?

Because turnabout is fair play, Biden now will busy himself undoing everything Trump touched as Trump did to Obama.

It’s the politics of spite. I think that goes back to the White House correspondents dinner when Obama made fun of Trump’s ridiculous birther claims. The public humiliation may have, um, incited Trump to actually run, because he had threatened to run for president in the past.

I believe in giving credit where due, and Trump was perhaps the biggest political wrecking ball we have ever seen. In the primary he ended one political dynasty — the House of Bush — while in the general election he ended another — the House of Clinton (although Hillary still believes she won).

During the four chaotic years of his presidency, Trump did achieve a soaring economy (not the best-ever, as he falsely claimed) until COVID killed it. Unemployment sank to historic levels for Blacks, Hispanics, Asians, and women; the stock market hit record levels; he did destroy the Caliphate and did assassinate infamous terrorists; our Southern border was sealed (by Mexico, even if it didn’t pay for a wall);  four enemies of Israel were brought to talk peace under his guidance; the Space Force was launched; Operation Warp Speed produced vaccines in record time; China was harshly confronted; North Korea was sweet-talked.

North Korea remains something of a threat — not a real one because I can’t conceive Dear Leader Kim actually attacking the United States. He’d be toast in a New York minute. Fat Boy does not have a death wish.

Trump also pulled out of the Paris and Iranian deals, which Biden will reverse, pronto. That is no dream. 

Here is what No. 46, Joe Biden, said about the future.

Unity is important and we should strive for it. That was the major theme of his 21-minute speech in which he spoke softly and carried no stick.

In addition to getting Obama’s Resolute desk, Biden needs one of Obama’s speechwriters because there was not a memorable line in Biden’s heartfelt address. It was strong on sincerity, but short on applause lines, hard to get from the small crowd hearing it.

Referring to what happened right there two weeks ago, Biden said our democracy had been tested, and had survived.

He acknowledged “deep divisions” among us and asked we end the civil war of red versus blue, and urban versus rural.

We should disagree, he said, but should do so respectfully and civilly.

Martin Luther King wasn’t the only person with a dream.