Module 12: Convsersations

 For this module we are to summarize the conversations that are revolving around the American political system in the fallout or aftermath of the 2020 election. Given that I have a wide range of friends and family, the bits of pieces of conversations form a sort of highlight tape  or best of  "political conversations and meltdowns of 2020."


Conversation 1 "My Israeli Friend" for an international perspective This section written with the understanding is that the "reader" (Hi Professor Andrews) understands the Israeli-Palestine/ Arab conflict (as much as anyone can understand something so complex and nuanced.)

While conversing for the first time in years with a dear friend who lives in the Middle Eastern nation of Israel, I mentioned that I myself was part of a winning local election. My friends demeanor and tone quickly changed, and responded with "Oh so you like Biden?." I explained that while yes I personally did support the Biden ticket over President Trump, and the election I was a part of was as far down ballot as one could get, most importantly that my race had nothing to do with the foreign policy debate. Never the less, the relationship with someone I called my "a[c]hi" ("my brother" there's an implied love to this phrasing vs others), has been changed by his perception of the American political landscape. This is unfortunately based around the two candidates varying stances on the American position and role within the Israel-Palestine relationship. A role that was once somewhat of a "middleman" who arguably played favorites to under the Trump administration it has shifted to open favoritism and embrace of policies that even within Israel are seen as far-right. 

Conversations 2&3 "My mentors"

Whilst working in the campaign world I have accumulated the guidance and help of many more experienced people than I. Their wisdom and (sometimes earned) pessimism is a refreshing take from the fiery energy of people my own age. One veteran political operative with over 30+ year of experience lamented the need for local governance to take center stage. Reminding that in the fallout of the great depression it was many different agencies going into communities, and empowering them and providing them with the resources to help  themselves that made the difference. Essentially he was pointing towards effective governance at the local level as one of the keys to get out of the economic downturn.

Another Political operative who worked at the highest levels of government, has maintained a level of paranoia throughout the entire election. Given that this same person was active and a part of the Gore campaign in 2000, it is beyond fair that they are worried about legal hoops. To this day they have yet to declare victory, instead, highlighting the various ways the Trump team is angling for legal buffers on their way out of office. This same Political operative also bemoaned the selection of Kamala Harris-as they were also a journalist within California for many years-they have a personal worry about the Vice-President Elect's political "integrity" calling her a "human weather flag."


3&4 :Talking about my generation"

One friend, who voted for the first time said they were just happy to have the entire election process "over" or finished. As they  felt that the lead up to this election started almost two years ago, and until recently, the most dominant news of the day was President Trumps Twitter. "Now at least there seems to be a slow creep back to reporting news from around the world, not just the halls of the Whitehouse or the debauchery of an ineffective Senate." 

Another friend who comes from a very politically minded and affiliated family, has worries about the continuity of governance. Suggesting that while the Biden victory is a nice pause from the chaos of Donald Trump, it was still a close victory that suggests the race in four years will be just as contested. Further, he suggested that Joe Biden's age may prevent him from running for a second term, indicating a chaotic primary on the incumbent side, may remove much of the political momentum the Biden administration has. 

Which if one remembers is the very problem that faced the Obama presidency, that while they enjoyed much public support, in government, their power was curbed by a hostile Republican congress.


So these are just some of the themes facing people in the aftermath of the election. While the end of the Trump era is reassuring in many ways, it is does also raise almost as many questions as it answers.


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