Biden will change governing in DC

One of the many great things about the election result is that Joe Biden, President-Elect, will surround himself with smart people and when he looks around the room at them he will acknowledge that he is not the smartest person there, not the Unblemished, Supreme, Balanced, Stable Genius. That, in and of itself, will show profound intelligence. And he will listen. His advisors will advise.  But, as he often puts it, make no mistake about it, he will decide.

He will pick up the phone and call anyone in Washington and the person on the other end will know that he will listen. He also may ask for, insist upon, even at times, in the strongest terms, that something get done. But he will never bully, because he isn’t one. He has just taken the Biggest Bully (BB) on the planet and pushed him ’round back and given BB a great big sock in the eye, as he vowed to do during the campaign. A non-violent sock, a sock to the soul, even though one has had doubts that BB has one.

There’s a video gone viral showing BB refusing to give up the beach ball at a children’s party, Trump in suit and tie, as his advisor, who may be Pence, I cannot tell, saying it’s time for him to give it to someone else.  BB kicks and screams  I DON’T WANT TO GO (in all CAPS of course), grabs for a leg of something and tries to pull it down with him. Samson, pulling off his toupee with Delilah who? The screen goes dark.

He is not going to ride off into the sunset in his golf cart, trailed by sycophant Graham Cracker (have you seen them on the links, the Prez lording it over Cracker, right next to the sand trap, which they have both lifted their balls out of, of course illegally?)

A shout-out to Rep. James Clyburn, Majority Whip from South Carolina, who more than any single person is responsible for the president-elect’s success. After Joe’s three losses in the first three primaries, Clyburn went to just about every Black person in South Carolina and said, “You Have to Vote for Joe.” And they did. He also urged Joe to put a woman of color on the ticket. When asked what Joe said to that, Jim growled a bit and smiled like the bear he is, and demurred.  Thank you, Jim, we could not have done it without you.

And Kamala, whose name we have learned to pronounce, even though the Foxies and Enemies of the People refuse to give up the ball in their sexist and racist rants, reaching for the leg of something, anything, to bring all the pillars down upon us. Kamala, whose grace, intelligence and resolve have already served the country well.  Recall how she went after Joe in that first debate. 

“I am that little girl on that bus,” she said. A bus to challenge segregation. A brave thing to do. And a brave thing to challenge Joe. Lincoln’s Team of Rivals comes to mind. And the magnanimity of him to choose her. 

The Roman poet Horace has a line which translates as “force bereft of reason falls of its own weight.”

Enough said.

Peace and Blessings on us all.

Lonnie Carter is a writer who lives in Falls Village.