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How can a U.S. president unify the country when almost half the voters didn't choose him? How does any elected leader in such a situation go about such a task?

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In all honesty, I don't know that he can. It may just be a waiting game to let the wounds heal. But the other thing is how the elected officials on the other side work with him that could determine more partisanship or healing.

4 ( +4 / -0 )

If he's the man for the job, he'll figure it out.

5 ( +5 / -0 )

They don’t. The US is a divided country, period. Elections don’t stop people from waking up in the morning, going to work, to the grocery store, going out with friends, etcetera, etcetera. And while doing all that, those 70 million Trump voters simply won’t accept Biden as their President. Life goes on.

10 ( +10 / -0 )

It is not the job of any president to unify the nation. I do not find that in the Constitution. The President is to support and defend the Constution. Lead the military as commander in chief against enemies foreign and domestic. Bolster the public defense.

Any thing more is media drivel. Unity is up to the citizenry.

2 ( +6 / -4 )

You never unify an entire country due to the nature of individuality. The closest you'll get is during times of war.

But most governments (and US especially) have no interest in unifying the population anyway - if the population is focused on criticizing and fighting each other based on political opinions, they're too busy to think and criticize the government instead. Ever notice how Americans never talk against the government itself, but it's always either "the left" or "the right" (terms devoid of any meaning) at fault instead?

Divide and conquer - it's highly effective.

8 ( +9 / -1 )

It is not the job of any president to unify the nation

Yes and Trump certainly made no effort to do it. He got his supporters to chant "Lock her up!" about his opponent.

I would argue that Obama's retention of Republicans in office and instant abandonment of "Change" and "Yes we can" led directly to the electing of Trump. Biden should pursue policies that help lots of Americans, not become some Republican lite who will be easy to replace in four years' time.

5 ( +7 / -2 )

Obama entered the presidency with broad support and a high positivity rating. Obama, with a Democratic Congress behind him, immediately launched a strongly leftist agenda that alienated half the country. Barring another event like 9/11, which is the only way Bush established unity after the contentious 2000 election, any future president is going to have a very difficult time appealing broadly to the American political spectrum.

Biden, if he survives the electoral college, will not start with any more unity than Trump did. This contended election ensures that. Moreover, the left wing of Biden's own party hates him, just as the left wing of Trump's party hates him, and so Biden will have to deal with divisions in party as well as in the country. Biden's tendency to shout at voters, call them stupid, and tell them to shut up when they disagree with him will not help Biden mend fences.

Politics in America is now fractured as much on identity lines as on ideological lines, and the ideological lines are rapidly being redrawn. It's no longer "conservative" vs. "liberal," but now nationalist vs. globalist. Biden is strongly in the latter camp, whereas the populist swell in the U.S. is trending away from globalists with their multi-national corporations, global financial schemes, and endless wars to protect them.

If Biden enters the presidency with a Democratic Congress, I predict he will make very little effort to reconcile with the right. His main concern will be securing the votes in Congress of those on his left, which means deeper divisions nationally. If Biden enters office and Congress remains split, Biden will have to reconcile more. There will be deep partisan infighting and no unity, but they will have to compromise on budgets at the very least.

And if recounts and court cases shift the election back to Trump, then America is likely to explode. Antifa will burn every major city to the ground.

-8 ( +3 / -11 )

He won't be able to because no desire to do so at grassroots level.

Plus he is fading fast.

Plus this mess of an election and all of the heated rhetoric around commies and Nazis and racists and thugs means that this is no longer a discussion.  It is an argument.  Or even worse, a war.

This only gets worse before it gets better.  Anyone who thinks Joe is the man to fix this is likely to be disappointed.  and in the meantime the economic and organisational progress made over the past few years will disappear.

Sad that such a powerful country can only come up with such a sorry bunch to run it.

-6 ( +3 / -9 )

There will lots of initial enthusiasm of using scare tactics of making Trump supporters political prisoners, but its only a diversion to mask their incompetence.

Biden inherited all of Trumps economy, which was destroyed by the Dems shelter in place absurdity and the 1 billion plus property damage done by the worst rioting in US history, now that there is a vaccine, all of the retail and hotel industry jobs Trump created will reappear in the 1st Term of Bidens presidency. No novel vaccine or rioting or vengeful MSM. Watch them claim credit for all of it, then slowly dismantle and destroy it.

-3 ( +2 / -5 )

I don't think unity around policy is possible or even the goal, given the many varied viewpoints out there. But civility and respectful discourse would bring about an achievable sense of unity.

5 ( +5 / -0 )

A structural refrom on US election systems is needed. It's too outdated in multiple ways to respond to the present-day crisis. It inevitably gives rise to political polarisation and divide regardless of particular public mood under particular situations. It also produces suspicion and mistrust (e.g. mail-in votes).

People tease Japan's obsolete culture of fax or hanko stamp; I now feel like teasing back on that if Americans resist on reform.

1 ( +2 / -1 )

If Biden enters the presidency with a Democratic Congress, I predict he will make very little effort to reconcile with the right. His main concern will be securing the votes in Congress of those on his left, which means deeper divisions nationally. 

reading the script from the episode "Another World" featuring "The Dems" we can read about the 2 trillion USD Climate Change "plan" that our more than qualified Dems have written for us. After all, their cities have been well run and managed. As long as it makes AOC happy, with her vast knowledge obtained while bar tending, why shouldt I be?

The grid scale storage idea...???? Rally the rest of the world to meet the threat of climate change? Im sure China and India will fully cooperate

Who will pay?

The proposal doesn't include specifics on how it would be paid for. Senior campaign officials who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss strategy said it would require a mix of tax increases on corporations and the wealthy and deficit spending aimed at stimulating the economy.

-3 ( +1 / -4 )

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