The outside stage was all set in Wilmington, Del., for Joseph R. Biden Jr. to return out and handle the nation — presumably in a victory speech bec
The outside stage was all set in Wilmington, Del., for Joseph R. Biden Jr. to return out and handle the nation — presumably in a victory speech because the president-elect.
There have been banners and spotlights and other people in vehicles able to honk their approval for the subsequent president and his working mate, Senator Kamala Harris. However the hour grew late and the counting of votes stored going and going with no signal of a winner within the contest between Mr. Biden and President Trump.
Lastly, near 11 p.m., Mr. Biden emerged. He didn’t ship a victory speech, however got here as shut as he may, speaking about what he supposed to do as president whereas assuring Individuals “your vote shall be counted.” It was clear that Mr. Biden was getting as stressed with the lengthy, laborious depend as a lot of the nation.
“It’s as gradual because it goes,” Mr. Biden mentioned, describing watching the numbers dribble in on tv. “As gradual because it goes it may be numbing.”
It has now been 4 days since Election Day. So long as which may appear, it’s nowhere close to the 36 days it took in 2000 earlier than the Supreme Courtroom ended the counting and successfully declared George W. Bush the winner over Al Gore.
Whereas all indications counsel that Mr. Biden has succeeded in defeating Mr. Trump, it’s nonetheless shut sufficient in 4 states — Arizona, Nevada, Pennsylvania and Georgia — that the competition stays unresolved.
Because the variety of excellent ballots slowly dwindled, Mr. Trump was left more and more with solely authorized challenges to forestall defeat. He remained uncharacteristically out of sight on Friday.
This postelection limbo was yet another little bit of proof of what a wierd election this has been. Poll counters have been overwhelmed by the file variety of early votes forged by mail due to the pandemic; therefore the gradual, meticulous counts happening throughout the nation.
Most elections come to an finish when one candidate calls the opposite to concede. Mr. Trump could also be trailing — with diminishing hopes of profitable — however he’s not the sort of one who concedes. And it’s not in Mr. Biden’s political curiosity to unilaterally declare victory (as Mr. Trump has successfully achieved), and feed the conspiracy principle being pushed by the president and his supporters that Democrats are attempting to steal the election.
So the depend goes on. And on. And on.