buzzfeed--2020-11-08--Here Are The Best Memes About Nevada Being Late To The Biden Election Party

Unless you 've been hiding under a rock , you probably know that Joe Biden and Kamala Harris won the @ @ @ @ @ The race was called on Saturday morning after Pennsylvania and its 20 electoral votes delivered @ @ @ @ @ President Donald Trump .
Pennsylvania was one of the few remaining swing states that could @ @ @ @ @ either candidate 's favor — as was Nevada , a state whose slow ballot counting @ @ @ @ @ hell and back over the past four days .

Unless you've been hiding under a rock, you probably know that Joe Biden and Kamala Harris have won the 2020 US presidential election. The race was called on Saturday morning after Pennsylvania and its 20 electoral votes delivered Biden a close victory over President Donald Trump.
Pennsylvania was one of the few remaining swing states that could have tipped the election in either candidate's favor — as was Nevada, a state whose slow ballot-counting process had been memed to hell and back over the past four days.


buzzfeed--2020-11-07--“The Chaos May End”: How DHS Employees Are Reacting To Biden's Win

The election of Joe Biden as president after a divisive campaign has been met with excitement and relief among many Department of Homeland Security employees who had been worried that the Trump administration had done long-term damage to the agency ’ s reputation and feared what would come in a second term .
During his four years in office , Donald Trump redefined the role of the Department of Homeland Security while instituting a series of restrictive measures unlike administrations before him .
Trump banned citizens of Muslim-majority countries from coming to the US , blocked asylum protection at the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cut the number of refugees allowed in the US to a historically low level , and separated families at the border .
The torrent of policy changes , which one group estimated to number more than 400 , had its effect on those who served within DHS and were told to implement the measures quickly , often without preparation or adequate training .
Department leaders came and went on a regular basis , to the point where courts ruled some had been illegally appointed .
Many DHS employees believed the agency had begun @ @ @ @ @ @ @ campaign , as senior officials mimicked political talking points and declared that cities like Portland were “ under siege.
” Some employees planned to quit if Trump had won reelection , while others considered their futures and whether they could withstand another four years of frantic changes to the immigration system .
There were those who wondered what Trump senior adviser Stephen Miller had in mind for his second term without the prospects of reelection .
BuzzFeed News spoke with 20 DHS employees — including those from US Citizenship and Immigration Services ( @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ( ICE ) , and US Customs and Border Protection — about their reactions to the election results .
The overwhelming majority were relieved and hopeful that Biden would bring a sense of stability after a tumultuous few years .
“ Pure unadulterated relief , ” said one DHS employee .
“ It gives us the opportunity to dig out from the enormously deep hole the Trump administration has dug .
What we do with that opportunity remains to be seen , but thank goodness we even have the chance.
” “ I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ original mission of safeguarding the nation from actual threats to our security , rather than the imagined threats among white nationalists from brown people and other immigrants , ” another employee said .
BuzzFeed News has journalists around the US bringing you trustworthy stories on the 2020 elections .
To help keep this news free , become a member .
During the course of the Trump administration , federal courts have regularly blocked several immigration policies , including one that banned asylum for those who crossed the southern border without authorization .
Employees @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to implement policies that would later be stopped by courts , and some tried to avoid being involved .
“ To me , it means that I can do my work with confidence that I won ’ t be asked to compromise my morals or ideals , ” said one DHS employee .
“ We no longer have to live with the fear of going to work everyday and being asked or told to do something that violates the laws and our Oath to the Constitution , ” said another employee .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for the American people again.
” From the early days of the Trump administration , DHS was pushed to quickly implement a rushed policy that had been on Trump ’ s agenda since he recommended a ban on all Muslims in 2015 .
On Jan. 27 , citizens of seven Muslim-majority countries were barred from entry to the US .
The rollout of the policy was haphazard .
At one point , then–DHS secretary John Kelly issued a statement clarifying that those with green cards could enter the country as protests raged in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s inspector general found that the policy was not implemented in an orderly matter .
“ In our investigation , we found that CBP was caught by surprise when the President issued the [ executive order ] on January 27 , 2017 .
DHS had little opportunity to prepare for and respond to basic questions about which categories of travelers were affected by the EO , ” the inspector general ’ s 2018 report stated .
In many ways , the implementation of the travel ban was foreshadowing for an administration that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and without lengthy training .
Longtime employees often felt their advice was ignored as senior administration officials worried about their allegiances .
“ This is vindication that character and truth and facts matter .
This means that the department will once again respect the expertise of career officials and take into account facts and what is in the best interest of the country when making policy decisions , ” another agency employee said .
“ I ’ m optimistic that DHS can hopefully start to repair its reputation and reverse course on the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” one employee added .
“ Of course there will always be critics of the department ’ s mission , but it would be great if we could get to a place where the public doesn ’ t think we ’ re literally actual Nazis .
I ’ m pretty confident that Biden will appoint someone to turn things around.
” The upcoming Biden administration will likely first focus its efforts on rolling back many controversial policies , like the Muslim ban and the cuts to asylum and refugee protections .
Those within @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a part of that change .
“ I am elated .
Thousands of civil servants will soon begin the job of putting the immigration system back together .
It ’ s going to be extremely challenging , no question .
But likely some of the most meaningful work I will do in my career , ” one DHS employee said .
Perhaps nowhere had seen as many changes to its mission than USCIS .
The agency , which was on the brink of furloughing most of its staff last year , has been @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of cuts to asylum and work visas , while also putting in place a wealth test for those who wanted to obtain a green card .
The union that represents asylum officers backed immigrant advocates in their legal efforts to block some of these changes .
“ I suddenly feel like the chaos may end .
There ’ s so much work to do to rectify the damage , but I trust that a Biden administration will not intentionally cause more hurt to immigrants , those seeking refuge , and the American people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ felt intentional to cause maximum pain .
A weight just lifted , ” said one DHS employee .
“ We will be able to adjudicate cases instead of looking to punish immigrants , ” said another employee who planned to quit if Trump had won .
However , some employees who were disappointed in the result also accepted it as they looked forward .
“ The results of the election isn ’ t what I wanted , but this is part of the American democratic system , which is the greatest system in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who backed Trump .
Other employees were hesitant about the result and wondered what Biden had planned for agencies like ICE .
Before Biden takes over , however , the Trump administration has more than two months left in charge .
The agency had been planning to implement another policy aimed at restricting asylum because of the coronavirus pandemic , and some employees wondered what the agency would do next in the waning days of Trump ’ s presidency .
“ Our long nightmare will soon be over , ” one employee said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not gone yet .
”

The agency’s inspector general found that the policy was not implemented in an orderly matter.
“In our investigation, we found that CBP was caught by surprise when the President issued the [executive order] on January 27, 2017. DHS had little opportunity to prepare for and respond to basic questions about which categories of travelers were affected by the EO,” the inspector general’s 2018 report stated.
In many ways, the implementation of the travel ban was foreshadowing for an administration that often liked to push big changes quickly and without lengthy training. Longtime employees often felt their advice was ignored as senior administration officials worried about their allegiances.
“This is vindication that character and truth and facts matter. This means that the department will once again respect the expertise of career officials and take into account facts and what is in the best interest of the country when making policy decisions,” another agency employee said.
“I’m optimistic that DHS can hopefully start to repair its reputation and reverse course on the policies that led to that reputation,” one employee added. “Of course there will always be critics of the department’s mission, but it would be great if we could get to a place where the public doesn’t think we’re literally actual Nazis. I’m pretty confident that Biden will appoint someone to turn things around.”
The upcoming Biden administration will likely first focus its efforts on rolling back many controversial policies, like the Muslim ban and the cuts to asylum and refugee protections. Those within the DHS were looking forward to being a part of that change.
“I am elated. Thousands of civil servants will soon begin the job of putting the immigration system back together. It’s going to be extremely challenging, no question. But likely some of the most meaningful work I will do in my career,” one DHS employee said.
Perhaps nowhere had seen as many changes to its mission than USCIS. The agency, which was on the brink of furloughing most of its staff last year, has been at the forefront of implementing a series of cuts to asylum and work visas, while also putting in place a wealth test for those who wanted to obtain a green card. The union that represents asylum officers backed immigrant advocates in their legal efforts to block some of these changes.
“I suddenly feel like the chaos may end. There’s so much work to do to rectify the damage, but I trust that a Biden administration will not intentionally cause more hurt to immigrants, those seeking refuge, and the American people. Everything the last 4 years has felt intentional to cause maximum pain. A weight just lifted,” said one DHS employee.
“We will be able to adjudicate cases instead of looking to punish immigrants,” said another employee who planned to quit if Trump had won.
However, some employees who were disappointed in the result also accepted it as they looked forward.
“The results of the election isn’t what I wanted, but this is part of the American democratic system, which is the greatest system in the world,” said one official who backed Trump.
Other employees were hesitant about the result and wondered what Biden had planned for agencies like ICE.
Before Biden takes over, however, the Trump administration has more than two months left in charge. The agency had been planning to implement another policy aimed at restricting asylum because of the coronavirus pandemic, and some employees wondered what the agency would do next in the waning days of Trump’s presidency.
“Our long nightmare will soon be over,” one employee said before warning: “His people are not gone yet.”


buzzfeed--2020-11-08--Here Are Some Great Gritty Memes About Joe Biden Winning The Election

ICYMI , Joe Biden and Kamala Harris won the 2020 US presidential election .
The race was called on Saturday @ @ @ @ @ 20 electoral votes pushed Biden over the edge into victory over President Donald Trump .
@ @ @ @ @ celebrating , especially in Philadelphia , where the city 's mail-in ballots helped Biden overcome @ @ @ @ @ And on the internet , one figure in particular was credited with flipping Pennsylvania — @ @ @ @ @ , the one-and-only Gritty .

ICYMI, Joe Biden and Kamala Harris won the 2020 US presidential election. The race was called on Saturday morning after Pennsylvania and its 20 electoral votes pushed Biden over the edge into victory over President Donald Trump.
Biden supporters in Pennsylvania are celebrating, especially in Philadelphia, where the city's mail-in ballots helped Biden overcome Trump's early lead.
And on the internet, one figure in particular was credited with flipping Pennsylvania — the myth, the legend, the one-and-only Gritty.


buzzfeed--2020-11-07--We Asked Americans For Their Messages To Biden After He Won

Walton : `` Welcome .
I hope you do the right thing .
We voted you in for a reason @ @ @ @ @ the people because we took care of you . ''
Green : `` Hey , @ @ @ @ @ to the team .
Please do what you got to do fix all the errors @ @ @ @ @

BuzzFeed News reporters went to the streets after Joe Biden's win to ask people what they had to say. Here are some of their reactions...


buzzfeed--2020-11-08--The MAGA Movement Is Splintering Between Those Preparing For A Future Without Trump And Those Refusi

The MAGA Movement Is Splintering Between Those Preparing For A Future Without Trump And Those Refusing To Imagine One

Four years ago , Steve Bannon watched Donald Trump declare victory in the small hours of election night in 2016 , a victory for which Bannon assigned himself much of the credit and which he thought would make him historically powerful .
“ I am Thomas Cromwell in the court of the Tudors , ” Bannon notoriously told the journalist Michael Wolff in an interview after Trump ’ s win .
Cromwell , Henry VIII ’ s adviser who played a key role in the English state in the 1500s , eventually fell out of favor with the king and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Bannon ’ s banishment from the White House and Trump ’ s good graces in the summer of 2017 .
Four years later , as Trump loses the presidency while clinging desperately to false claims of a “ stolen ” election , it is Bannon who wants to do the beheading .
“ Second term kicks off with firing Wray , firing Fauci , ” Bannon said on his livestream web show Thursday of the current FBI director and top infectious diseases official .
“ I 'd actually like to go back to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I 'd put the heads on pikes , right .
I 'd put them at the two corners of the White House as a warning to federal bureaucrats.
” Bannon ’ s cohost mused about how “ traitors ” used to be “ hung , ” and Bannon remarked , “ That 's how you won the revolution .
No one wants to talk about it .
The revolution was n't some sort of garden party , right ?
It was a civil war.
” ( Twitter swiftly imposed a permanent ban on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and YouTube removed the video . )
Bannon ’ s call for the execution of federal officials deemed insufficiently supportive of Trump was certainly an escalation for him — though not much of one , coming the day after he urged the attorney general to send federal agents to arrest Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey .
But he ’ s far from alone among certain segments of the MAGA hardcore who have been crossing new rhetorical lines in their desperation to keep Trump in office .
An important divide has arrived on the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ election over how far to go in following Donald Trump , and how far people are willing to go to destroy others who don ’ t follow along .
At the heart of the divide is a gap between those triangulating for a future without Trump and those who are refusing to imagine one .
Those that were important before Trump — like Fox News and certain elected Republicans — have walked a fine line , softly entertaining Trump ’ s wild lies about rigging while focusing more on the need for further @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and making loaded remarks about the elections processes in Democratic cities like Philadelphia .
Those that owe their influence to Trump — the network of far-right Internet personalities , websites , and independent TV channels that gained popularity by riding his coattails , or figures who remodeled themselves in Trump ’ s image — have hewed to or exceeded Trump ’ s claims .
As the days dragged on and it became increasingly clear that Trump ’ s path had closed , influential figures such as the members of the Fox News primetime @ @ @ @ @ @ @ testing out attacks on the incoming Biden administration and offering glowing praise of Trump ’ s tenure in office .
Trump ’ s attempt to contest the results continued , but true hope that it would be successful had waned on all but the fringe .
The MAGA diehards ’ efforts to throw out the election will be futile .
But their influence on the Trump-supporting base is important , and affects both the future of the conservative media and the way the Republican Party will handle Trump ’ s most adoring fans @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have spent the last four years being told that the president is the victim of a huge conspiracy to undermine him , and many will never believe that this election was legitimate — a fact that hasn ’ t been lost on Republicans deciding how to react to this crisis .
The closest parallel could be to the Tea Party a decade ago , a movement fueled by hard-right conservative media that demanded ideological purity from establishment Republicans and threatened their seats in Congress .
The fragmentation of conservative media has empowered the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ steal ” and weakened any possibility that reality will intrude on those who are consuming their news through the hodgepodge of fringe sources popular on the Trump right these days .
On the final weekend of the campaign , I asked voters at Trump rallies where they got their news .
Some did mention Fox News , but I was surprised that nearly everyone I talked to emphasized other sources just as much or more .
The Parrishes , a retired couple who went to Trump ’ s rally in Hickory , North @ @ @ @ @ @ @ t like Fox News apart from Tucker Carlson , finding the hosts too “ egotistical and arrogant , ” said Mary Ellen Parrish , and that “ there ’ s a lot of deception , ” her husband Chuck said .
The couple mostly get their information online : Mary Ellen from Twitter and Chuck from YouTube , where he has discovered the `` flat Earth '' conspiracy theory , to which he ascribes .
Jerry Senn , 82 , at Trump ’ s rally in Fayetteville , North Carolina , mentioned One @ @ @ @ @ @ @ favorites , though he likes Fox too .
He goes online to read Bill O ’ Reilly and Dennis Prager ’ s websites .
Jennifer Justice , 34 , at the same rally , said , “ I do n't watch mainstream news .
I follow a lot of people on YouTube and on alternative media , but I do n't watch Fox .
I do n't watch MSNBC .
I don ’ t watch CNN.
” Some of her favorites include Steven Crowder , Ben Shapiro , and Candace Owens .
Multiple @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from Facebook .
Already , Trump family members and some of the new wave of Trump-like politicians are using Trump ’ s popularity with the base to threaten any Republican who doesn ’ t publicly agree with the fraud allegations .
“ The total lack of action from virtually all of the ‘ 2024 GOP hopefuls ’ is pretty amazing .
They have a perfect platform to show that they ’ re willing & able to fight but they will cower to the media mob instead .
Don ’ t worry @ realDonaldTrump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ usual !
” Donald Trump Jr. tweeted on Thursday .
The implicit threat of Trump ’ s wrath worked , kind of : Shortly after Trump Jr ’ s tweet , Arkansas Sen. Tom Cotton weighed in , tweeting , “ All votes that are *legally* cast should be counted .
There is NO excuse not to allow poll watchers to observe counting , ” and including a link to donate to Trump ’ s campaign to support its legal challenges in various states .
Former South Carolina governor Nikki Haley , who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the United Nations , struck a more cautious note on Twitter , emphasizing Republican wins in the House and Senate .
“ We all owe @ realDonaldTrump for his leadership of conservative victories for Senate , House , & state legislatures .
He and the American people deserve transparency & fairness as the votes are counted .
The law must be followed .
We have to keep the faith that the truth will prevail.
” This was not enough for Trump purists .
Florida Rep. Matt Gaetz , an archetypal member of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ accusing her of “ eulogizing ” Trump .
Bannon ’ s maximalist position is shared by other former Trump officials , including those of the “ populist intellectual ” variety who had been part of the effort to reframe Trumpism as a movement with a clear ideological basis .
Former White House speechwriter Darren Beattie — who lost his job after it was revealed that he had spoken at a white nationalist conference — tweeted on Thursday , “ Screw Biden ... if they take this from Trump it 's war on the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ beginning even as they rode his coat tails and kissed his ass.
” While lacking the eloquence that perhaps was exhibited in Beattie ’ s speechwriting work , the language and the message is the same : This is a war , which must be won at any cost .
Michael Anton , Trump ’ s former National Security Council spokesperson who had gained notoriety as the author of the incendiary “ Flight 93 Election ” essay in 2016 , wrote for the pro-Trump website American Greatness casting the situation as a “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s Fox News show on Thursday to discuss the situation .
Carlson — like Sean Hannity and Laura Ingraham , the other two hosts who command huge audiences during Fox News ’ primetime — has devoted his show to openly sowing doubt in the legitimacy of the election , giving valuable airtime to the misinformation spreading through the right about the validity of the counting process .
While none of the three have matched Trump ’ s “ stolen ” language , they have heavily implied it .
But something else began @ @ @ @ @ @ @ daytime , the news division hasn ’ t indulged Trump ’ s election claims as much as might have been expected ; another News Corp property , the New York Post , has run articles mocking the Trump family ’ s reaction to the election .
And in the evenings , the primetime opinion hosts have also provided potential rhetorical pathways for Trump to back off .
On Wednesday night , Ingraham made a point of praising Trump ’ s accomplishments and casting him as a martyr whose influence would only increase if @ @ @ @ @ @ @ manage to succeed , how powerful is Donald Trump in the next two- and four-year period ?
” she said .
“ People aren ’ t going to take it.
” Trump and his movement , she said , would be made “ much more powerful , ” and Democrats were making a “ huge mistake.
” “ He will be bigger , ” agreed her guest Newt Gingrich .
By Friday , Ingraham was all but admitting that Trump had lost .
During an opening monologue that seemed designed to cheer up @ @ @ @ @ @ @ first-term accomplishments and assured viewers that “ If there is no path for Donald Trump 's second term , it does n't mean the end of the America First movement . ''
The same night , Carlson also acknowledged that Trump might lose and focused his show on an attack on Biden as a “ lackey ” of Big Tech and a “ hologram ” who is merely a cutout for corporate interests .
Carlson also previewed the kind of intra-Republican infighting that could be on the agenda , attacking Sen. Lindsey Graham @ @ @ @ @ @ @ years , and pledging to give $ 500,000 in support of his postelection litigation — for saying he is open to compromising with Democrats on immigration .
These lines signal a path forward for the right , and for Trump supporters , that is absent in the rhetoric of the dead-enders like Bannon .
If you insist that Trump has won , period , and will be inaugurated on Jan. 20 , period , there ’ s nowhere to go from there .
But where is there to go for people like Bannon @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Bannon ’ s War Room show hosted a livestream atop a building across from the Capitol .
Four broadcasts were taking place from a large white tent on the rooftop : his show , America ’ s Voice News , The John Fredericks Show , and GTV , a Chinese-language media company owned by the Chinese dissident billionaire Guo Wengui , for whom Bannon has worked since shortly after leaving the White House .
The big , brightly lit tent contained a few rows of tables , technical equipment for the livestreams , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ arranged in front of TVs showing Bannon ’ s broadcast .
Bannon and his cohosts , Jack Maxey and former Breitbart London editor Raheem Kassam , sat side by side at a table with the Capitol dome in the back of the shot .
GTV was in a separate area , broadcasting in Chinese .
Two years ago , Bannon had hosted a similar event as midterm results came in ; that time , his gathering had attracted bigger names in MAGA world and a clutch of reporters .
This year , I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tent housing the event ; the real VIPs were at the White House ’ s election night party , and the tier below at least got an invite to a gathering hosted by the campaign at the Trump International Hotel .
That these were not the MAGA A-list didn ’ t reduce their enthusiasm .
With my friend and former colleague who was also there to write about the event , the Atlantic writer McKay Coppins , I spoke with Harlan Hill , a right-wing personality who had carved out a niche for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ had switched to Trump .
Hill , like nearly all of the guests , wore no mask , and when we introduced ourselves he shook our hands jovially .
He was fully confident in Trump ’ s reelection and eager to discuss it .
“ Oh , he 's gon na win , ” Hill declared .
“ A hundred percent.
” He added , “ If it goes the other way , I ’ ll eat my shoe . ''
Outside the tent , we encountered Kassam on a break from the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in 2018 and had gone on to work for Bannon during Bannon ’ s failed effort to influence European politics .
Upon seeing us , he demanded that Coppins leave , insisting that he wouldn ’ t be “ fair , ” without being able to provide a single example of why that would be when pressed .
Kassam unleashed a string of insults on the dark rooftop .
We were “ psychopaths , ” he said , who “ actually make shit up.
” Though his ire was initially directed towards Coppins @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as I argued with him , demanding that I leave too .
I told him I found his behavior “ unnerving , ” to which he remarked cryptically that there were cameras around — thus , I supposed , no reason to be unnerved .
( I still don ’ t know what he was implying might have happened in the absence of cameras . )
We explained to Kassam that Bannon and his spokesperson Alexandra Preate had both said it was fine for us to come , and he promptly turned heel @ @ @ @ @ @ @ she was sorry but she had no choice but to back his insistence that we leave , since it was “ his party.
” Before leaving , we reminded the two of them that we ’ d attended the event in a journalistic capacity and had never agreed to any off-the-record ground rules , which prompted Kassam to turn on his phone ’ s camera ( with flash ) and follow us out as we left while filming us and shouting that we were “ not there as reporters !
” Kassam ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
I ’ d never seen him blow up like that in person , and , because of my work covering the right , I have known him for several years .
It seemed as though a pressure valve had been released by the bitter election and the prospect of Trump ’ s power slipping away , destroying the normal boundaries between Twitter and real life .
Later this week , both Hill and Kassam were in Philadelphia , agitating against the vote-counting there as Trump ’ s chances of winning the election @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I ’ m going to Philly tomorrow with a team , ” Hill tweeted on Thursday .
“ This is war.
” By Saturday , the war was lost .
Along with the other networks , Fox News called the election for Biden .
●

The MAGA diehards’ efforts to throw out the election will be futile. But their influence on the Trump-supporting base is important, and affects both the future of the conservative media and the way the Republican Party will handle Trump’s most adoring fans going forward. Trump’s supporters have spent the last four years being told that the president is the victim of a huge conspiracy to undermine him, and many will never believe that this election was legitimate — a fact that hasn’t been lost on Republicans deciding how to react to this crisis. The closest parallel could be to the Tea Party a decade ago, a movement fueled by hard-right conservative media that demanded ideological purity from establishment Republicans and threatened their seats in Congress.
The fragmentation of conservative media has empowered the loudest voices calling to “stop the steal” and weakened any possibility that reality will intrude on those who are consuming their news through the hodgepodge of fringe sources popular on the Trump right these days.
On the final weekend of the campaign, I asked voters at Trump rallies where they got their news. Some did mention Fox News, but I was surprised that nearly everyone I talked to emphasized other sources just as much or more. The Parrishes, a retired couple who went to Trump’s rally in Hickory, North Carolina, told me they didn’t like Fox News apart from Tucker Carlson, finding the hosts too “egotistical and arrogant,” said Mary Ellen Parrish, and that “there’s a lot of deception,” her husband Chuck said. The couple mostly get their information online: Mary Ellen from Twitter and Chuck from YouTube, where he has discovered the "flat Earth" conspiracy theory, to which he ascribes.
Jerry Senn, 82, at Trump’s rally in Fayetteville, North Carolina, mentioned One America News Network and Newsmax as his favorites, though he likes Fox too. He goes online to read Bill O’Reilly and Dennis Prager’s websites. Jennifer Justice, 34, at the same rally, said, “I don't watch mainstream news. I follow a lot of people on YouTube and on alternative media, but I don't watch Fox. I don't watch MSNBC. I don’t watch CNN.” Some of her favorites include Steven Crowder, Ben Shapiro, and Candace Owens. Multiple voters mentioned how much news they get from Facebook.
Already, Trump family members and some of the new wave of Trump-like politicians are using Trump’s popularity with the base to threaten any Republican who doesn’t publicly agree with the fraud allegations. “The total lack of action from virtually all of the ‘2024 GOP hopefuls’ is pretty amazing. They have a perfect platform to show that they’re willing & able to fight but they will cower to the media mob instead. Don’t worry @realDonaldTrump will fight & they can watch as usual!” Donald Trump Jr. tweeted on Thursday. The implicit threat of Trump’s wrath worked, kind of: Shortly after Trump Jr’s tweet, Arkansas Sen. Tom Cotton weighed in, tweeting, “All votes that are *legally* cast should be counted. There is NO excuse not to allow poll watchers to observe counting,” and including a link to donate to Trump’s campaign to support its legal challenges in various states.
Former South Carolina governor Nikki Haley, who served as Trump’s ambassador to the United Nations, struck a more cautious note on Twitter, emphasizing Republican wins in the House and Senate. “We all owe @realDonaldTrump for his leadership of conservative victories for Senate, House, & state legislatures. He and the American people deserve transparency & fairness as the votes are counted. The law must be followed. We have to keep the faith that the truth will prevail.” This was not enough for Trump purists. Florida Rep. Matt Gaetz, an archetypal member of the MAGA wave, sniped at Haley, accusing her of “eulogizing” Trump.
Bannon’s maximalist position is shared by other former Trump officials, including those of the “populist intellectual” variety who had been part of the effort to reframe Trumpism as a movement with a clear ideological basis. Former White House speechwriter Darren Beattie — who lost his job after it was revealed that he had spoken at a white nationalist conference — tweeted on Thursday, “Screw Biden... if they take this from Trump it's war on the GOP that has sabotaged Trump from the beginning even as they rode his coat tails and kissed his ass.” While lacking the eloquence that perhaps was exhibited in Beattie’s speechwriting work, the language and the message is the same: This is a war, which must be won at any cost.
Michael Anton, Trump’s former National Security Council spokesperson who had gained notoriety as the author of the incendiary “Flight 93 Election” essay in 2016, wrote for the pro-Trump website American Greatness casting the situation as a “coup.”
Anton appeared on Tucker Carlson’s Fox News show on Thursday to discuss the situation. Carlson — like Sean Hannity and Laura Ingraham, the other two hosts who command huge audiences during Fox News’ primetime — has devoted his show to openly sowing doubt in the legitimacy of the election, giving valuable airtime to the misinformation spreading through the right about the validity of the counting process. While none of the three have matched Trump’s “stolen” language, they have heavily implied it.
But something else began happening on Fox News. During the daytime, the news division hasn’t indulged Trump’s election claims as much as might have been expected; another News Corp property, the New York Post, has run articles mocking the Trump family’s reaction to the election.
And in the evenings, the primetime opinion hosts have also provided potential rhetorical pathways for Trump to back off.
On Wednesday night, Ingraham made a point of praising Trump’s accomplishments and casting him as a martyr whose influence would only increase if the Democrats win. “If they manage to succeed, how powerful is Donald Trump in the next two- and four-year period?” she said. “People aren’t going to take it.” Trump and his movement, she said, would be made “much more powerful,” and Democrats were making a “huge mistake.” “He will be bigger,” agreed her guest Newt Gingrich. By Friday, Ingraham was all but admitting that Trump had lost. During an opening monologue that seemed designed to cheer up Trump himself, Ingraham warmly listed his first-term accomplishments and assured viewers that “If there is no path for Donald Trump's second term, it doesn't mean the end of the America First movement."


buzzfeed--2020-11-08--Scientists Are Relieved About A Biden Presidency. They Say The Real Work Can Start Now.

After four years of relentless attacks on science , researchers and doctors are hopeful that Biden will fight the pandemic and climate change .
For scientists who have watched in horror as President Donald Trump relentlessly insulted , undermined , and ignored science , while more than 236,000 Americans died during a historic pandemic , Joe Biden ’ s victory on Saturday was a long-awaited cause for celebration .
“ It feels very much like the four-year war on science has come to an end , ” Jacquelyn Gill , an ecologist at the University of Maine , told BuzzFeed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sense of relief , ” said Jennifer Glass , associate professor of astrobiology at the Georgia Institute of Technology .
“ I finally feel hope again after four years of attacks on science and facts.
” “ I am ecstatic , ” said Bob Wachter , chair of the University of California at San Francisco ’ s department of medicine .
“ It ’ s a victory for science and it gives us some hope that we will right things , not only for COVID specifically , but for the general approach that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ truth , and competence.
” And yet , even though Biden received a historic number of votes to clinch the presidency , scientists said that the widespread show of support for Trump shows how much work remains to be done .
In a number of hotly contested battleground states , the former vice-president narrowly edged out an opponent who won more than 70 million votes overall .
Trump ’ s stronger-than-predicted showing saddened — though not necessarily surprised — doctors and scientists who have been watching as the coronavirus infected millions of Americans @ @ @ @ @ @ @ West , under Trump ’ s watch .
Trump ’ s values , including his disregard of science , are not disappearing anytime soon , and Biden ’ s administration has an enormous gap to close , researchers and physicians said .
“ People have decided that Trumpian values — nationalism , white supremacy — are more important than anything else including a generational pandemic , including their own families in some cases , ” said Angela Rasmussen , a virologist at Columbia University .
“ Every election cycle , we say health @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said Esther Choo , an emergency physician and professor at Oregon Health and Science University .
This year , “ a health issue was the most dominant topic for the entire world and the United States .
It has never so much been on the ballot .
I think that still did not make this election cycle obvious.
” Wachter said Biden ’ s presidency is at least an opportunity for a fresh start .
“ I see the mishandling of COVID as being tragic in its own right , but also being @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and attitudes that are only going to get us into more trouble , ” he said .
“ We just can ’ t get this right if we don ’ t agree on facts and respect expertise and competence and apply those things to attacking really hard problems .
I ’ m confident we ’ ll begin doing that now.
” Ultimately , Biden ’ s victory was clear .
The former vice-president received more votes than any other presidential candidate in history and , in the popular vote , won by a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump in 2016 .
If Biden ends up taking states where he led as of Saturday morning , such as Arizona , Nevada , and Georgia , his electoral vote total would comfortably exceed the 270 needed to win .
At the same time , Trump won more votes than he did in 2016 and held onto major states like Ohio , Florida , and Texas .
And even though they lost the White House , Republicans gained House seats and will likely hang on to their Senate majority , dependent on a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Georgia in January .
Without Democratic control there , Biden will likely have a much harder time achieving his agenda .
So far , Trump has said that he will not concede and will contest the results in court until there is an “ honest vote count.
” There is no evidence of widespread voter fraud .
Jack Goldstone , a sociologist at George Mason University , worried about potential unrest breaking out if Trump does not concede soon .
“ That will drag out the pain and deepen the wound , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ yet has moved America to the center of the political spectrum , ” said Goldstone , who studies the factors that drive political violence and instability .
“ It ’ s left us still pushing in different directions , and if that does n't change we 're heading for continuing conflict and difficulty.
” Scientists generally lean left .
In a survey conducted by the journal Nature , about 86 % of 579 scientists planning to vote said they supported Biden and named the coronavirus and climate change as their top issues .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ , was the main concern for those backing Trump .
That mirrors the split among voters ’ priorities nationwide .
But scientists have also traditionally stayed out of politics and activism , preferring to let their research speak for itself .
That changed during the Trump administration .
“ I think a lot of people have realized that just standing on the sidelines and trying to be ‘ objective ’ has not served our scientific community or the people we ’ re here to serve as scientists , ” said Gill , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ Whether we ’ re working for government agencies or receiving government funding , we ’ re working on issues for the public good .
I think a lot of scientists are realizing our position as public servants is tenuous in ways we didn ’ t appreciate before .
I think we ’ ve gone through a one-way door.
” The profession ’ s shift toward speaking up became even clearer this election , when historically neutral scientific institutions jumped into the fray .
From high-profile journals and publications ( Nature , Science @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Journal of Medicine , Scientific American ) , to professional organizations ( the National Academy of Sciences ) and dozens of Nobel laureates , the scientific establishment issued unprecedented criticisms of Trump or full-throated endorsements of Biden .
That political participation can ’ t end just because Biden is in charge , scientists say .
On the contrary : the real work needs to begin now .
That work will need to consist of essentially undoing all the damage the Trump administration did over the last four years .
“ We ’ ll @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , we ’ ll be able to have actual experts in the various scientific offices that have been empty , we ’ ll see an end to gag orders and silencing of government experts , ” Gill said .
“ We may actually be able to get the work done of solving some of our biggest scientific problems , instead of fighting constantly for just the basic right to do science.
” Chanda Prescod-Weinstein , an assistant professor of physics and core faculty in women ’ s and gender studies at the University @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hopes that the diverse , energized coalitions that elevated Biden into office will stay engaged .
“ Booting Trump from the White House is a step in the right direction , but there ’ s a lot of work to do , ” she said .
“ Physicians and scientists , they ’ re supposed to keep their heads down and do their work , take care of their patients and do their research , ” said Eric Topol , a cardiologist at Scripps Translational Science Institute .
But “ the old rules @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ … that ’ s history .
It ’ s a whole new look now .
We ’ ve got to rise to the challenge , and it ’ s profound .
”

For scientists who have watched in horror as President Donald Trump relentlessly insulted, undermined, and ignored science, while more than 236,000 Americans died during a historic pandemic, Joe Biden’s victory on Saturday was a long-awaited cause for celebration.
“It feels very much like the four-year war on science has come to an end,” Jacquelyn Gill, an ecologist at the University of Maine, told BuzzFeed News.
“I feel a huge sense of relief,” said Jennifer Glass, associate professor of astrobiology at the Georgia Institute of Technology. “I finally feel hope again after four years of attacks on science and facts.”
“I am ecstatic,” said Bob Wachter, chair of the University of California at San Francisco’s department of medicine. “It’s a victory for science and it gives us some hope that we will right things, not only for COVID specifically, but for the general approach that our government is taking towards science, truth, and competence.”
And yet, even though Biden received a historic number of votes to clinch the presidency, scientists said that the widespread show of support for Trump shows how much work remains to be done.
In a number of hotly contested battleground states, the former vice-president narrowly edged out an opponent who won more than 70 million votes overall. Trump’s stronger-than-predicted showing saddened — though not necessarily surprised — doctors and scientists who have been watching as the coronavirus infected millions of Americans, and as record-breaking wildfires burned the West, under Trump’s watch.
Trump’s values, including his disregard of science, are not disappearing anytime soon, and Biden’s administration has an enormous gap to close, researchers and physicians said.
“People have decided that Trumpian values — nationalism, white supremacy — are more important than anything else including a generational pandemic, including their own families in some cases,” said Angela Rasmussen, a virologist at Columbia University.
“Every election cycle, we say health care is on the ballot,” said Esther Choo, an emergency physician and professor at Oregon Health and Science University. This year, “a health issue was the most dominant topic for the entire world and the United States. It has never so much been on the ballot. I think that still did not make this election cycle obvious.”
Wachter said Biden’s presidency is at least an opportunity for a fresh start.
“I see the mishandling of COVID as being tragic in its own right, but also being emblematic of a broader set of policies and attitudes that are only going to get us into more trouble,” he said. “We just can’t get this right if we don’t agree on facts and respect expertise and competence and apply those things to attacking really hard problems. I’m confident we’ll begin doing that now.”


buzzfeed--2020-11-07--Donald Trump Shows Up First When You Search Twitter For "Loser." Here's Why.

“ If an account is mentioned often alongside certain terms , they can become algorithmically surfaced together as an association.
” On Saturday morning , Joe Biden won the 2020 US presidential election , and people on Twitter noticed an odd wrinkle .
When they searched for “ loser , ” President Donald Trump 's account was the first result .
For some people , searching for the word “ winner ” likewise showed Joe Biden and Kamala Harris as the first two results , while Trump appeared third .
BuzzFeed News has journalists around the US bringing you trustworthy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ help keep this news free , become a member .
Despite speculation that the search results might have been the result of a decision that Twitter made this morning , the results are simply due to how its search tool works , according to the company .
A Twitter spokesperson said that platform activity can lead certain words together to become associated with each other , leading to those kinds of search results .
“ If an account is mentioned often alongside certain terms , they can become algorithmically surfaced together as an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ BuzzFeed News .
“ These associations are temporary and ever-changing based on how people Tweet.
” The phenomenon is similar to what ’ s happening on Google when people search for the word “ winner.
” In an incognito window that does not factor in a user ’ s past search history , the search engine ’ s first auto-populated result for “ winner ” is “ winner of election 2020.
” On Saturday morning , tech companies rushed to update their platforms with the most up-to-date information about the election results .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ placed a notification at the top of Instagram feeds with information about Biden ’ s projected victory .
Twitter led its Explore tab , which collects news and trending topics , with the news , and YouTube placed a label on election-related videos that said , “ The AP has called the Presidential race for Joe Biden.
” Voice assistants including Apple ’ s Siri and Amazon ’ s Alexa returned information about Biden ’ s projected victory when asked on Saturday morning , as did Facebook Portal , the social network ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a news tip , we ’ d like to hear from you .
Reach out to us via one of our tip line channels .

For some people, searching for the word “winner” likewise showed Joe Biden and Kamala Harris as the first two results, while Trump appeared third.
BuzzFeed News has journalists around the US bringing you trustworthy stories on the 2020 elections. To help keep this news free, become a member.
Despite speculation that the search results might have been the result of a decision that Twitter made this morning, the results are simply due to how its search tool works, according to the company. A Twitter spokesperson said that platform activity can lead certain words together to become associated with each other, leading to those kinds of search results.
“If an account is mentioned often alongside certain terms, they can become algorithmically surfaced together as an association,” a Twitter spokesperson told BuzzFeed News. “These associations are temporary and ever-changing based on how people Tweet.”


buzzfeed--2020-11-07--World Leaders Are Congratulating Joe Biden For Winning The Election

After four years of heightened tensions between President Donald Trump and crucial international allies , world leaders responded to the news of Joe Biden 's victory in the 2020 election on Saturday with praise and congratulations .
As vice president in the Obama administration , Biden had fostered relationships with world leaders , and many called him a `` true ally '' to their nations and alliances in their remarks .
Many also congratulated Kamala Harris on her historic ascendency to vice president–elect .
`` We will further build on this foundation as we continue to keep our people safe @ @ @ @ @ @ @ global COVID-19 pandemic , and work to advance peace and inclusion , economic prosperity , and climate action around the world , '' Trudeau said in an expanded statement .
“ I look forward to working with President-elect Biden , Vice President-elect Harris , their administration , and the United States Congress as we tackle the world ’ s greatest challenges together . ''
`` Congratulations !
The American people have decided .
Joe Biden will be the 46th president of the United States of America .
I wholeheartedly wish him luck and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the first elected female Vice President of her country , '' Merkel said in a statement in German .
`` I look forward to future collaborations with President Biden .
Our transatlantic friendship is irreplaceable if we want to tackle the largest challenges of our times . ''
`` I look forward to working very closely with President-elect Biden , Vice-President-elect Kamala Harris and the new administration to further strengthen the bond between North America and Europe , '' said Stoltenberg , who has steered the military alliance organization through Trump 's criticisms @ @ @ @ @ @ @ advantage of the US .
Martin referenced Biden 's Irish Catholic roots in his statement on Twitter , saying , `` I also look forward to welcoming him back home when the circumstances allow ! ''
`` We congratulate @ JoeBiden , the next president of the United States and @ kamalaharris , the first female vice president of the United States , '' Duque tweeted in Spanish .
`` We wish you every success in your tenure . ''

After four years of heightened tensions between President Donald Trump and crucial international allies, world leaders responded to the news of Joe Biden's victory in the 2020 election on Saturday with praise and congratulations.
As vice president in the Obama administration, Biden had fostered relationships with world leaders, and many called him a "true ally" to their nations and alliances in their remarks.
Many also congratulated Kamala Harris on her historic ascendency to vice president–elect.
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau


buzzfeed--2020-11-07--Barack Obama Just Congratulated Joe Biden And Kamala Harris On Winning The Election

Former president Barack Obama has congratulated President-elect Joe Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris on their election victory on Saturday .
`` In this election , under circumstances never experienced , America turned out in numbers never seen .
And once every vote is counted , President-Elect Biden and Vice President-Elect Harris will have won a historic and decisive victory , '' he said .
`` I know he 'll do the job with the best interests of every American at heart , whether or not he had their vote .
So I encourage every American to give him a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The election results at every level show that the country remains deeply and bitterly divided .
It will be up to not just Joe and Kamala , but each of us , to do our part — to reach out beyond our comfort zone , to listen to others , to lower the temperature and find some common ground from which to move forward , all of us remembering that we are one nation , under God . ''
Biden was Obama 's vice president for both terms of his presidency and the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ president recently joined the campaign trail to help get Biden elected .

Former president Barack Obama has congratulated President-elect Joe Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris on their election victory on Saturday.
"In this election, under circumstances never experienced, America turned out in numbers never seen. And once every vote is counted, President-Elect Biden and Vice President-Elect Harris will have won a historic and decisive victory," he said.
"I know he'll do the job with the best interests of every American at heart, whether or not he had their vote. So I encourage every American to give him a chance and lend him your support. The election results at every level show that the country remains deeply and bitterly divided. It will be up to not just Joe and Kamala, but each of us, to do our part — to reach out beyond our comfort zone, to listen to others, to lower the temperature and find some common ground from which to move forward, all of us remembering that we are one nation, under God."
Biden was Obama's vice president for both terms of his presidency and the two became close friends.
The former president recently joined the campaign trail to help get Biden elected.


buzzfeed--2020-11-07--This Is What People Promised They Would Do If Biden Won

Because in the days before the election ended , many people on Twitter posted what they would do if the @ @ @ @ @

Because in the days before the election ended, many people on Twitter posted what they would do if the former vice president won.


buzzfeed--2020-11-07--Oh, Joe Biden Won Nevada, Too

Oh, Joe Biden Won Nevada, Too

Joe Biden won the presidency on Saturday after winning Pennsylvania .
Moments later , he won Nevada , too .
Nevada was one of six swing states with close tallies that voters had been watching in suspense as mail-in , same-day registration , and provisional votes continued to be counted after the polls closed on Tuesday .
Decision Desk HQ and other election results firms projected Biden 's win in the state Saturday morning .
The final two major counties tallying votes in the state , Clark and Washoe , include the metropolitan areas of Las Vegas and Reno .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ past two presidential elections , but by slim margins .
On Saturday morning , Clark County announced an additional 14,696 votes counted .
By the end of the day , it had added 8,523 votes for Joe Biden and 5,467 for Trump — increasing Biden ’ s lead to 1.99 % , or 25,520 votes statewide , with the remaining votes from Nevada ’ s largest county likely to continue breaking in Biden ’ s favor .
Some rural counties , which favor Trump , were also still counting votes , but their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ break Biden ’ s lead .
Democrats have won the state for the past four presidential elections — but by narrow margins .
In 2016 , Hillary Clinton won by 2 % , or 27,202 votes .
Both the Trump and Biden campaigns spent time and resources in Nevada in the final stretch of the election .
The Democratic Party had hoped the growing share of the Asian American and Latino voters in Nevada would help them pull ahead .
Biden spent $ 200,000 recently on TV , radio , and newspaper ads @ @ @ @ @ @ @ staff and surrogates who had helped Sen. Bernie Sanders sweep Nevada ’ s Democratic caucuses earlier this year , a win that was driven in part by Latino members of the powerful Culinary Workers Union .
Nevada is one of the states hit hardest by the economic impacts of the pandemic , which shut down its major industries and resulted in hundreds of thousands of job losses .
More than 104,000 Nevadans have also tested positive for the virus since March , and the state has seen a second wave of COVID-19 cases @ @ @ @ @ @ @ made the COVID-19 crisis the focal point of his campaign as the virus forced shutdowns across the country , while Trump downplayed its severity and refused to commit to a plan to contain the virus ’ s spread , at times undermining scientists , doctors , and even his own CDC .
By Wednesday , all in-person early votes , in-person Election Day votes , and most of the mail-in ballots received before Election Day were counted , according to Nevada ’ s secretary of state .
But the lengthy process of counting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ two kinds of votes : mail-in ballots received on or after Election Day , and ballots from voters who used Nevada ’ s same-day registration law to register and vote at the polling place on Election Day .
As of Saturday , Clark County was the last remaining major county with significant numbers of votes left .
Election workers are still counting 39,853 mail-in ballots — which are likely to favor Biden — and another roughly 60,000 provisional ballots , which will be counted last and are likely to be roughly split between @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Joe Gloria said at a press conference on Friday morning that he expects to complete the majority of mail-in counting by Sunday .
`` Our priority here is to be accurate in every way .
We ’ re not interested in moving as fast as we can , ” Gloria said .
“ We ’ re confident the work is being done accurately , and that is our main goal . ''
The state of Nevada mailed every registered voter a ballot this year and will continue to count ballots postmarked on or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 5 p.m. on Nov. 10 .
At a press conference in Las Vegas on Thursday , Trump campaign officials accused the state , without evidence , of counting illegitimate ballots .
On Thursday night , Republicans in Nevada filed a lawsuit challenging computer software used to verify voters ’ signatures and claiming the media was n't allowed to observe counting .
The lawsuit , notably , does not ask for any ballots to be invalidated , but at most for some to be reverified manually .

Joe Biden won the presidency on Saturday after winning Pennsylvania. Moments later, he won Nevada, too.
Nevada was one of six swing states with close tallies that voters had been watching in suspense as mail-in, same-day registration, and provisional votes continued to be counted after the polls closed on Tuesday. Decision Desk HQ and other election results firms projected Biden's win in the state Saturday morning.
The final two major counties tallying votes in the state, Clark and Washoe, include the metropolitan areas of Las Vegas and Reno. Both counties voted for Democrats in the past two presidential elections, but by slim margins.
On Saturday morning, Clark County announced an additional 14,696 votes counted. By the end of the day, it had added 8,523 votes for Joe Biden and 5,467 for Trump — increasing Biden’s lead to 1.99%, or 25,520 votes statewide, with the remaining votes from Nevada’s largest county likely to continue breaking in Biden’s favor. Some rural counties, which favor Trump, were also still counting votes, but their cumulative total would not be enough to break Biden’s lead.
Democrats have won the state for the past four presidential elections — but by narrow margins. In 2016, Hillary Clinton won by 2%, or 27,202 votes. Both the Trump and Biden campaigns spent time and resources in Nevada in the final stretch of the election.
The Democratic Party had hoped the growing share of the Asian American and Latino voters in Nevada would help them pull ahead. Biden spent $200,000 recently on TV, radio, and newspaper ads aimed at Latino voters and brought on staff and surrogates who had helped Sen. Bernie Sanders sweep Nevada’s Democratic caucuses earlier this year, a win that was driven in part by Latino members of the powerful Culinary Workers Union.
Nevada is one of the states hit hardest by the economic impacts of the pandemic, which shut down its major industries and resulted in hundreds of thousands of job losses. More than 104,000 Nevadans have also tested positive for the virus since March, and the state has seen a second wave of COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations in recent weeks.
Biden made the COVID-19 crisis the focal point of his campaign as the virus forced shutdowns across the country, while Trump downplayed its severity and refused to commit to a plan to contain the virus’s spread, at times undermining scientists, doctors, and even his own CDC.
By Wednesday, all in-person early votes, in-person Election Day votes, and most of the mail-in ballots received before Election Day were counted, according to Nevada’s secretary of state.
But the lengthy process of counting the votes in Nevada came down to two kinds of votes: mail-in ballots received on or after Election Day, and ballots from voters who used Nevada’s same-day registration law to register and vote at the polling place on Election Day.
As of Saturday, Clark County was the last remaining major county with significant numbers of votes left. Election workers are still counting 39,853 mail-in ballots — which are likely to favor Biden — and another roughly 60,000 provisional ballots, which will be counted last and are likely to be roughly split between the two candidates.
Clark County Registrar Joe Gloria said at a press conference on Friday morning that he expects to complete the majority of mail-in counting by Sunday.
"Our priority here is to be accurate in every way. We’re not interested in moving as fast as we can,” Gloria said. “We’re confident the work is being done accurately, and that is our main goal."
The state of Nevada mailed every registered voter a ballot this year and will continue to count ballots postmarked on or before Election Day if they arrive before 5 p.m. on Nov. 10.
At a press conference in Las Vegas on Thursday, Trump campaign officials accused the state, without evidence, of counting illegitimate ballots. On Thursday night, Republicans in Nevada filed a lawsuit challenging computer software used to verify voters’ signatures and claiming the media wasn't allowed to observe counting. The lawsuit, notably, does not ask for any ballots to be invalidated, but at most for some to be reverified manually.


buzzfeed--2020-11-07--Joe Biden Won, But America’s Problems Aren’t Over

It ’ s official : Biden is our new president .
But just because we ’ re almost done with the utter chaos of Trump doesn ’ t mean the country is cured of its ills .
I was 18 when Barack Obama won in 2009 , and it felt like a breath of fresh air after eight years of George W. Bush .
I had never voted yet at that point in my life , and as a Canadian I still can ’ t , but Bush ’ s time as president felt exhausting , even from afar : @ @ @ @ @ @ @ my life without hearing the word “ gaffe ” ever again .
9/11 felt like the beginning of the end of the US .
By virtue of comparison , Barack Obama felt like a savior , and while his presidency was indeed better than Trump ’ s — electing a bag of hair with a Twizzler for a mouth would ’ ve been better than Trump — it still wasn ’ t enough for America to feel like a better , more equitable place .
Was it better for you ?
Did it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ us ?
Was it enough ?
Well , we know the answer : It was the last four years .
Expecting one politician to right the ship is an impossible task , and so Biden winning the presidency this week isn ’ t really the end .
It was a seemingly endless election , a tight race , and ultimately historic , with Biden nabbing more than 75 million votes ( a record , as he 's now received the most votes for any presidential candidate ever ) and with Kamala Harris now @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the vice president .
Voter turnout is on pace to break records , projected to be just higher than 66 % .
Trump joins the underwhelming ranks of other one-term presidents , our modern-day Herbert Hoover .
Still , it ’ s just the beginning of a long fight , and with Senate control likely determined by runoffs , a painful one .
This win is just a clarion call that we all have another chance to fix this country before it decays for good .
No nation slips into fascism comfortably , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ through complacency .
Plenty of voters — and ultimately , nonvoters — were comfortable for so long !
Many had good jobs and enjoyed their families and didn ’ t worry too much about daily , unrelenting chaos .
We could hug our moms inside an Applebee ’ s !
But it was that complacency that gave us Trump , which was borne out of the same kind of self-satisfaction that made some mop their brows when Obama was elected and think , Good , I never have to worry about racism again @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pandemic as an avoidable crisis , so too should we view the election of Donald Trump in 2016 .
If certain white people had voted , instead of assuming the election was in the bag for Hillary Clinton , we might not have had to live through the last four years of chaos .
( How many times can I scream into my mirror , “ TRUMP WON WISCONSIN ONLY BY 22,700 VOTES , ” while it cracks at the sight of my own reflection ? )
White women , who were perhaps @ @ @ @ @ @ @ never affect their comfort until they weren ’ t able to eat inside a Panera Bread for the last eight months , could have stopped this four years ago .
And apparently , based on early exit polls , they didn ’ t try very hard to stop it this time either .
Biden ’ s win , I ’ m sure , will signal to a lot of people that there ’ s a real changing of the guard in the US .
That choosing someone other than Trump means that the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the last four years .
It ’ s a relief for a lot of people , but namely people who are fed up with the cruelty being the point .
The week before the election , “ anxious ” and “ nervous ” were trending on Twitter , a beautiful encapsulation of our countrywide hell .
Or , really , our international hell — there are very few countries left unaffected by Trump ’ s four years of presidential turmoil .
The day of the election felt bleak too , as most mail-in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
But slowly , as the week unfolded , it seemed more and more likely that Biden would clinch the extremely tight race , and we could dream of a future of forgetting the names of Trump ’ s children .
It ’ s good news for anyone hoping for a more progressive country — eventually — but Biden ’ s win is just the first step in an incredibly long list of actions the country needs to commit to in order to gravitate toward actually being “ great.
” His victory felt @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a noncitizen who ’ s only been here for two years , who can ’ t vote , and who generally has kept their head down waiting for a green card to come in .
The chaos of the Trump administration had , in the last year in particular , become fatal .
Biden was a perfect adversary for Trump because he ’ s downright forgettable , the generic Barbie of presidential candidates .
His policies , which seem to boil down to “ fracking 🌈 , ” appease neither young , democratic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the party ’ s future , nor Trump ’ s most vehement conservative base — McCains notwithstanding .
But the mediocre middle is where Biden thrives best , and that ’ s how he won .
The energy around this Biden victory has largely been about voting Trump out rather than excitement about voting Biden in .
He was palatable enough for those made squeamish by Trump ’ s bombastic form of racism but also too spooked by the words “ democratic socialism ” to demand a better option .
( Speaking @ @ @ @ @ @ @ mostly fine .
You have to wait a few extra days for blood work , which is kind of a bummer , but you never get a phone call from a lab that , surprise , you owe them $ 900 because of something called “ a deductible.
” And much like Fahrenheit and the spelling of “ neighbour , ” the definition of a deductible is among the things I am not interested in learning about this country . )
Biden is a placeholder president .
His legacy will likely forever be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has to clean up .
In 2016 , voter suppression disproportionately affected Black voters , and these suppression tactics impacted the 2020 election too .
Even once ballots were being counted , there were still hoards of people demanding that officials stop counting , lest Trump lose for good .
But some people just didn ’ t vote in 2016 , with 45 % of adults in the US not casting a vote .
This year , they did : NBC reported that 20 % of the early votes across the country came @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not vote in the last election .
Maybe some people just assumed everything would work itself out .
( But maybe not like this ? )
But there ’ s just so much work left to do — after all , Georgia did n't really turn blue overnight .
Racism wasn ’ t born out of Trump ; it just became louder and uglier than had been socially acceptable in the last few years .
He said the quiet parts loud — and then others in the GOP followed suit because finally , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump wasn ’ t the reason why immigrants , both documented and otherwise are suddenly afraid , he just profited off the long-established xenophobia around foreigners entering this country and ruining it .
Trump gave his accomplices a reason to no longer hide in the shadows , but now that he ’ s out of office , they ’ re still lurking .
Roger Stone is still pardoned .
Miles Taylor can write all the anonymous New York Times op-eds he wants ; he still helped shape the immigration policy that has left @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s nothing comforting about the countless Americans who waited hours and hours in line , during a pandemic , to make absolutely sure that their vote would be counted because throughout this election there was always doubt .
Every daily crisis of the last four years has been so cataclysmic and distracting that we ’ ve barely addressed climate change ( a problem from long before Trump 's time as our leader ) .
Who has the time ?
And after all this , you still can ’ t hug your mom , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ kill her .
The people who helped Trump spread his vision of a dystopian future will continue to thrive in the Republican party , and will likely come back again and again to haunt us later .
Senate Republicans like Mitch McConnell and Lindsey Graham were both reelected by sizable margins .
The election was hardly a repudiation of Trump and his four years in office ; he just happened to have lost this time around .
The US is far from cured just because Trump is soon to be out of office @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of how we even let this happen .
The ugly truth is there are enough people in this country who think poor people should suffer , that you should lose your house if you have to pay for your own chemotherapy , that the police should be given free rein over citizens , for a Trumpian nightmare to happen again .
If living in the US felt like living in a failed state for the last four years , that 's because it is .
But there 's always time to fix it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
You ’ ve earned it .
Dream of a future where you can feel full , unbridled relief , where you can trust your leaders to do what you ask of them , where you can be moderately furious in the failure of your government instead of perpetually terrified of how its policies will impact you .
Relish in your relief !
But not too much time .
Because for many of us , the work has to continue because we ’ re lucky enough to do it .
Because taking two @ @ @ @ @ @ @ months , a couple of years off from hypervigilance is what got us into a place where this election didn ’ t just feel like an election , it felt like a choice between a final death or a resurrection .
Eons of complacency got us to a place of nightly protests , white people trying to brunch on sidewalks but feeling guilty — as you should — while people gathered in the tens of thousands to demand the end of violence against Black trans people in America .
Trump wasn ’ t @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the product , the purpose .
It can happen twice ; all we have to do is let it .
●

I was 18 when Barack Obama won in 2009, and it felt like a breath of fresh air after eight years of George W. Bush. I had never voted yet at that point in my life, and as a Canadian I still can’t, but Bush’s time as president felt exhausting, even from afar: I could have gone the rest of my life without hearing the word “gaffe” ever again. 9/11 felt like the beginning of the end of the US. By virtue of comparison, Barack Obama felt like a savior, and while his presidency was indeed better than Trump’s — electing a bag of hair with a Twizzler for a mouth would’ve been better than Trump — it still wasn’t enough for America to feel like a better, more equitable place. Was it better for you? Did it create a better world for all of us? Was it enough?
Well, we know the answer: It was the last four years. Expecting one politician to right the ship is an impossible task, and so Biden winning the presidency this week isn’t really the end. It was a seemingly endless election, a tight race, and ultimately historic, with Biden nabbing more than 75 million votes (a record, as he's now received the most votes for any presidential candidate ever) and with Kamala Harris now the first Black and Indian-American woman as the vice president. Voter turnout is on pace to break records, projected to be just higher than 66%. Trump joins the underwhelming ranks of other one-term presidents, our modern-day Herbert Hoover.
Still, it’s just the beginning of a long fight, and with Senate control likely determined by runoffs, a painful one. This win is just a clarion call that we all have another chance to fix this country before it decays for good.
No nation slips into fascism comfortably, but for the US, it came through complacency. Plenty of voters — and ultimately, nonvoters — were comfortable for so long! Many had good jobs and enjoyed their families and didn’t worry too much about daily, unrelenting chaos. We could hug our moms inside an Applebee’s! But it was that complacency that gave us Trump, which was borne out of the same kind of self-satisfaction that made some mop their brows when Obama was elected and think, Good, I never have to worry about racism again.
The same way many view the pandemic as an avoidable crisis, so too should we view the election of Donald Trump in 2016. If certain white people had voted, instead of assuming the election was in the bag for Hillary Clinton, we might not have had to live through the last four years of chaos. (How many times can I scream into my mirror, “TRUMP WON WISCONSIN ONLY BY 22,700 VOTES,” while it cracks at the sight of my own reflection?) White women, who were perhaps initially convinced that a Trump presidency would never affect their comfort until they weren’t able to eat inside a Panera Bread for the last eight months, could have stopped this four years ago. And apparently, based on early exit polls, they didn’t try very hard to stop it this time either.
Biden’s win, I’m sure, will signal to a lot of people that there’s a real changing of the guard in the US. That choosing someone other than Trump means that the country is repenting for the sins of the last four years. It’s a relief for a lot of people, but namely people who are fed up with the cruelty being the point. The week before the election, “anxious” and “nervous” were trending on Twitter, a beautiful encapsulation of our countrywide hell. Or, really, our international hell — there are very few countries left unaffected by Trump’s four years of presidential turmoil. The day of the election felt bleak too, as most mail-in ballots hadn’t yet been counted. But slowly, as the week unfolded, it seemed more and more likely that Biden would clinch the extremely tight race, and we could dream of a future of forgetting the names of Trump’s children.
It’s good news for anyone hoping for a more progressive country — eventually — but Biden’s win is just the first step in an incredibly long list of actions the country needs to commit to in order to gravitate toward actually being “great.”


buzzfeed--2020-11-07--Donald Trump Finally Lost

Donald Trump Finally Lost

President Donald Trump , after a desperate last-ditch effort to discredit the results of the election through legal challenges and baseless charges of fraud , has lost his bid for reelection .
The president — who presided over the deaths of more than 236,000 Americans in a pandemic he had little interest in controlling , emboldened white nationalists , separated immigrant children from their families , and used the government in service of his personal grievances — lost his reelection to Joe Biden .
On election night , the president falsely claimed victory .
Two days later , he doubled-down @ @ @ @ @ @ @ House alleging a widespread conspiracy to steal the election from him , as he set out to undermine the election and democracy .
Even as it became clear the president would not win reelection , the campaign ’ s counsel claimed Friday morning that “ irregularities ” throughout the voting process would somehow overturn projections of Trump ’ s loss in an official statement that began with “ This election is not over.
” The president himself tweeted , “ Philadelphia has got a rotten history on election integrity , ” the same @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not presented reasonable evidence to back any of that up .
At the moment the race was called , the president was golfing .
Trump may have lost , but the lasting effects of his presidency will be etched into the American psyche for years .
He reshaped the judiciary for a generation , appointing more than 200 conservative judges — some rated `` not qualified '' — to the bench , including three Supreme Court justices .
He presided over a tax cut for the wealthy in a time of rampant financial @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pandemic he failed to contain .
He elevated dangerous conspiracy theorists and fringe racists .
And he exposed the modern Republican Party as ripe for takeover by a single demagogue .
And the scale of Trump ’ s support , even in loss , shows that he and his brand of politics can ’ t be deemed a fluke ; Trump won more votes than he did in 2016 , and his appeal to so many Republican voters could make him a powerful figure for years to come .
Trump for weeks refused @ @ @ @ @ @ @ peacefully if he lost while repeatedly attempting to suppress the vote and undermine the election results by making false claims that it would be rigged .
In the final days of the campaign , he fueled election anxiety by suggesting a Supreme Court decision to allow late-arriving ballots in Pennsylvania , a key state , would create “ bedlam in our country.
” There were multiple new suits filed in Pennsylvania after Election Day , and the campaign asked to intervene in the Supreme Court case .
Lawsuits the campaign filed in Michigan @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Trump vowed to fight on even after all the major networks called the race for Biden on Saturday , releasing a statement accusing Biden of `` falsely posing '' as the victor and promising to continue his campaign 's legal battle .
His flagrant attempts to discredit the 2020 election were another example of his long-held pattern of denying reality — like how he insisted the nation was “ rounding the corner ” on COVID-19 up until the end of his campaign , even as roughly 1,000 Americans were dying every day @ @ @ @ @ @ @ passionate support from his fervent base of supporters .
Thousands upon thousands of people flocked to his rallies around the country , thrilled when he ’ d slam journalists , scientists , Washington elites , and foreign allies , tapping into a vein of white social and economic grievance .
They are likely to remain a powerful political force for years , even as they shrink demographically , influencing the Republican Party from the far right .
At times during the campaign , Trump openly entertained the idea that he might lose , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lose because they ’ ll say I ’ m not a nice person , ” and suggesting he might leave the country if defeated .
That is unlikely .
With more than 85 million Twitter followers and a penchant for shattering norms , he is likely to continue to seek the spotlight and the attention of his base .
He may not be quick to relinquish control of the GOP , with enough loyalists in charge of state parties to keep him empowered even out of elected office .
And there ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to run for president again in 2024 , when he ’ d be 78 .
Trump ’ s loss comes after a chaotic four-year presidency in which he seemed far more comfortable campaigning than governing , and that was punctuated by a bevy of packed rallies during the worst pandemic in a century .
No one can say what ’ s next for the real estate scion and reality TV star who , as a newcomer to politics , disrupted the Republican Party and jettisoned its previous establishment , leaving behind a party @ @ @ @ @ @ @ which will now be without Trump himself officially at its helm .
It ’ s unclear if Trump ’ s children will take the reins of his populist political movement , which derives much of its power from the racial and economic grievances of working-class white voters .
Donald Jr. , Eric , Ivanka , and Tiffany all served as prominent campaign surrogates , signaling that the family may not be done with politics yet .
His children have staked out different political niches , with Donald Jr. fashioning himself as the heir @ @ @ @ @ @ @ own the libs ” ethos , and Ivanka presenting herself as the supposedly moderate , mainstream face of the family along with her husband , Jared Kushner .
The fate of the party is also in flux .
An institution that once espoused Ronald Reagan–style small-government conservatism and social traditionalism is now the home of QAnon believers whom Trump emphatically endorsed , including Republican congressional candidates Laura Loomer and Marjorie Taylor Greene .

President Donald Trump, after a desperate last-ditch effort to discredit the results of the election through legal challenges and baseless charges of fraud, has lost his bid for reelection.
The president — who presided over the deaths of more than 236,000 Americans in a pandemic he had little interest in controlling, emboldened white nationalists, separated immigrant children from their families, and used the government in service of his personal grievances — lost his reelection to Joe Biden.
On election night, the president falsely claimed victory. Two days later, he doubled-down at a press briefing in the White House alleging a widespread conspiracy to steal the election from him, as he set out to undermine the election and democracy. Even as it became clear the president would not win reelection, the campaign’s counsel claimed Friday morning that “irregularities” throughout the voting process would somehow overturn projections of Trump’s loss in an official statement that began with “This election is not over.”
The president himself tweeted, “Philadelphia has got a rotten history on election integrity,” the same day. He and his campaign have not presented reasonable evidence to back any of that up.
At the moment the race was called, the president was golfing.
Trump may have lost, but the lasting effects of his presidency will be etched into the American psyche for years. He reshaped the judiciary for a generation, appointing more than 200 conservative judges — some rated "not qualified" — to the bench, including three Supreme Court justices. He presided over a tax cut for the wealthy in a time of rampant financial inequality, made worse by the coronavirus pandemic he failed to contain. He elevated dangerous conspiracy theorists and fringe racists. And he exposed the modern Republican Party as ripe for takeover by a single demagogue.
And the scale of Trump’s support, even in loss, shows that he and his brand of politics can’t be deemed a fluke; Trump won more votes than he did in 2016, and his appeal to so many Republican voters could make him a powerful figure for years to come.
Trump for weeks refused to say whether he would leave office peacefully if he lost while repeatedly attempting to suppress the vote and undermine the election results by making false claims that it would be rigged. In the final days of the campaign, he fueled election anxiety by suggesting a Supreme Court decision to allow late-arriving ballots in Pennsylvania, a key state, would create “bedlam in our country.” There were multiple new suits filed in Pennsylvania after Election Day, and the campaign asked to intervene in the Supreme Court case. Lawsuits the campaign filed in Michigan and Georgia after Election Day were dismissed. Trump vowed to fight on even after all the major networks called the race for Biden on Saturday, releasing a statement accusing Biden of "falsely posing" as the victor and promising to continue his campaign's legal battle.
His flagrant attempts to discredit the 2020 election were another example of his long-held pattern of denying reality — like how he insisted the nation was “rounding the corner” on COVID-19 up until the end of his campaign, even as roughly 1,000 Americans were dying every day.
Still, Trump continued to attract passionate support from his fervent base of supporters. Thousands upon thousands of people flocked to his rallies around the country, thrilled when he’d slam journalists, scientists, Washington elites, and foreign allies, tapping into a vein of white social and economic grievance. They are likely to remain a powerful political force for years, even as they shrink demographically, influencing the Republican Party from the far right.
At times during the campaign, Trump openly entertained the idea that he might lose, saying, “maybe I’ll lose because they’ll say I’m not a nice person,” and suggesting he might leave the country if defeated. That is unlikely. With more than 85 million Twitter followers and a penchant for shattering norms, he is likely to continue to seek the spotlight and the attention of his base.
He may not be quick to relinquish control of the GOP, with enough loyalists in charge of state parties to keep him empowered even out of elected office. And there’s always the possibility that he could choose to run for president again in 2024, when he’d be 78.
Trump’s loss comes after a chaotic four-year presidency in which he seemed far more comfortable campaigning than governing, and that was punctuated by a bevy of packed rallies during the worst pandemic in a century.
No one can say what’s next for the real estate scion and reality TV star who, as a newcomer to politics, disrupted the Republican Party and jettisoned its previous establishment, leaving behind a party in thrall to Trump-style politics, but which will now be without Trump himself officially at its helm.
It’s unclear if Trump’s children will take the reins of his populist political movement, which derives much of its power from the racial and economic grievances of working-class white voters. Donald Jr., Eric, Ivanka, and Tiffany all served as prominent campaign surrogates, signaling that the family may not be done with politics yet. His children have staked out different political niches, with Donald Jr. fashioning himself as the heir to his father’s crude “own the libs” ethos, and Ivanka presenting herself as the supposedly moderate, mainstream face of the family along with her husband, Jared Kushner.
The fate of the party is also in flux. An institution that once espoused Ronald Reagan–style small-government conservatism and social traditionalism is now the home of QAnon believers whom Trump emphatically endorsed, including Republican congressional candidates Laura Loomer and Marjorie Taylor Greene.


buzzfeed--2020-11-07--Kamala Harris Will Be The First Woman To Be Vice President

As the first Black woman vice president , and the former top law enforcement officer in California , Harris is likely to take a prominent role in an administration grappling with racial unrest and a reckoning over racism in policing .
And she will also face a conservative Supreme Court that seems likely to roll back reproductive rights for women , perhaps even threatening Roe v. Wade .
Harris ’ s entire career has been marked by firsts : She was the first woman and first Black person to become district attorney of San Francisco , and then attorney general @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s first Black woman senator — and only the second elected in American history .
Harris , 56 , injected energy and enthusiasm into the Democratic ticket when Joe Biden chose her to be his vice president this summer .
In Harris , many Democrats saw what Biden did : a “ bridge ” to the future of a rapidly changing , diversifying party .
Kamala Devi Harris , the daughter of immigrants from Jamaica and India , became the first woman , first Black woman , and first person of South Asian @ @ @ @ @ @ @ shattering one of the last remaining barriers for women in American government .
Kamala Harris before the first Democratic presidential primary debate for the 2020 election in June 2019 in Miami .
Those issues , especially the Black Lives Matter movement , will be a historic opportunity for Harris as a leader in a party whose older , whiter leadership has drifted apart from an increasingly young , diverse , and energized base .
But they could also pose a challenge .
Harris has been criticized by Black activists for the tough-on-crime approach @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in California .
While she has embraced Black Lives Matter and the need for dramatic shifts in policing in her own presidential campaign , mistrust lingers between Harris and some of the racial justice movement ’ s top voices .
She will also face challenges that most of her predecessors have not .
She has been the subject of sexist and racist comments , including incessant mockery and mispronunciations of her name from Republicans , including Trump and her Senate colleague David Perdue .
Trump called her a “ monster ” after her @ @ @ @ @ @ @ frequently attacked her during his rallies .
Harris has not always drawn attention to her gender on the campaign trail the way other women candidates looking to make history have .
In the Democratic primary , Kirsten Gillibrand built an entire , pink-branded campaign around women ’ s issues , and Elizabeth Warren made pinky promises to little girls .
But during her primary campaign , Harris made a point of using “ she ” / “ her ” pronouns when she spoke about the presidency and as she described members of her @ @ @ @ @ @ @ applause , or even surprise , from the audience .
She was doing it , she told BuzzFeed News in 2019 , to help people expand their understanding of what was possible in politics .
“ I ’ ve always been very aware that for these jobs , we ’ re asking people to see what they ’ ve not seen before , ” Harris said .
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Those issues, especially the Black Lives Matter movement, will be a historic opportunity for Harris as a leader in a party whose older, whiter leadership has drifted apart from an increasingly young, diverse, and energized base. But they could also pose a challenge.
Harris has been criticized by Black activists for the tough-on-crime approach she took as a law enforcement official in California. While she has embraced Black Lives Matter and the need for dramatic shifts in policing in her own presidential campaign, mistrust lingers between Harris and some of the racial justice movement’s top voices.
She will also face challenges that most of her predecessors have not. She has been the subject of sexist and racist comments, including incessant mockery and mispronunciations of her name from Republicans, including Trump and her Senate colleague David Perdue. Trump called her a “monster” after her debate against Vice President Mike Pence and frequently attacked her during his rallies.
Harris has not always drawn attention to her gender on the campaign trail the way other women candidates looking to make history have. In the Democratic primary, Kirsten Gillibrand built an entire, pink-branded campaign around women’s issues, and Elizabeth Warren made pinky promises to little girls.
But during her primary campaign, Harris made a point of using “she”/“her” pronouns when she spoke about the presidency and as she described members of her cabinet. Her words would sometimes provoke applause, or even surprise, from the audience.
She was doing it, she told BuzzFeed News in 2019, to help people expand their understanding of what was possible in politics.
“I’ve always been very aware that for these jobs, we’re asking people to see what they’ve not seen before,” Harris said. ●