now more than ever

Knowing, as i do, people on both sides of the American political aisle, all i can say is, if the Democrats want to risk losing the next election in 2024, all they have to do is keep going the way they've been going the last 4 years (or more): which is, to insist that their own side is in sole possession of "what is right", ignore what people on the other side are saying and characterize them as massively deluded and out of touch with reality, and keep on pushing their own radical extreme agenda with that almost religious air of self-righteousness which is so paradoxical and strange coming from people who generally eschew conventional religion and most certainly eschew conservative religion.

The divide in American politics and culture is deep and wide, and the fact that Trump did so well despite the public and mindboggling incompetence of his administration, and the fact that the Dems did not expect to do so badly (the same mistake they made in 2016 -- one would think, once bitten twice shy, but no, for some reason, the Dems have been singularly inattentive to the lessons of History), says so much about the imperviousness of the echo chambers people on both sides are living in, and the depth of the fear on the part of conservatives when contemplating the effect of just 4 years of Democratic governance. If the Dems want to consolidate their razor-thin victory, they will need to find ways to set down that overweening arrogance and elitism, and listen to people who think differently from them. (i find that liberals are usually very good at "diversity" in terms of race, gender/sexuality, but not so good at thought / ideological diversity, which, to me, seems to be a glaring blind spot which urgently needs to be addressed ...)

All this to say, people need to listen, listen, listen -- but now, just as ever, or maybe even more than ever, there seems to be an unwillingness to listen, to humble oneself, to see oneself capable of making mistakes and misjudgements, to admit the need to keep learning and growing.

From what i've seen so far on the media, Biden sounds like the kind of person who might be interested in bridging divides (as opposed to some of the more radical among the Democrats, who may as well be smoking mushrooms as far as i'm concerned), and i hope to goodness the middle way prevails over the next 4 years. Even more than that, i hope to goodness he stays safe and healthy for the duration of his term in office, and for a long time after that, too.