President-elect’s ultimate challenge will be closing the divide

On Nov. 7, President-elect Joe Biden gave a victory speech in Wilmington, Delaware that outlined his vision for America.

He spoke to the pain and loss that countless Americans have suffered since the beginning of the pandemic. He spoke to his administration’s commitment to address systemic racism and injustice. Most importantly, he spoke to his desire to lead the nation to unity.

Unity will be at the forefront of the Biden administration. It was the driving force behind Biden’s message to “restore the soul of America” that was often heard during his campaign for the presidency. It was what I believe to have been the main reason many Americans chose to vote for him.

Hearing this kind of message from a man who was renowned in Washington D.C. for his ability to compromise on key legislation was refreshing. I have no doubt that the Biden administration will be steadfast on its goal to move the country away from divisive politics.

But I must admit that I doubt if his administration can accomplish such a lofty goal. 

The problem is that division has seeped into the core of how Americans fundamentally view the country. The division between Republicans and Democrats is not solely about policy anymore. Polling from the Pew Research Center among U.S. President Donald Trump supporters and Biden supporters before the election showed that almost 80% of both groups disagree on what America’s basic values are.  

Even more worrying is the fact that both sides cannot even agree on what the basic facts are. According to the same poll, 85% of Americans believe that neither side can agree on basic information. 

It will take much more than a call to unity to bring Americans together. The possibility that our country is irreparably disunited is concerning. But despite all the pessimism that has surrounded my thoughts these last few days, I continue to hold on to a little bit of hope for the future. 

I don’t know what steps the Biden administration will take to bridge the chasm that separates us, but I’m cautiously optimistic that his election might be a step in the right direction. 

With the likely possibility of a divided government come January, we need a compromiser in the executive office now more than ever. America has fallen into a pit of divisiveness and partisanship that has only grown deeper over these last four years. Our country cannot continue down this path.

As President-elect Biden stated in his victory speech, “To make progress, we must stop treating our opponents as our enemy. We are not enemies. We are Americans.” I don’t know if Biden’s words will reach those who did not vote for him. They may understandably question his credibility as a unifier because he is not unique in his call for unity; these are words that have been used by countless politicians before him. But these are unique times, and we have to reckon with the fact that things will only get worse if we don’t begin to work for unity now.

Biden’s election will not be the ultimate unifying force that undoes the divide that has deepened in the last decade. But I remain optimistic that this shift in tone from the executive branch might be the catalyst for true healing and unification in this country.