The Day After

Summary

The author expresses concern over the uncertain outcome of the U.S. presidential election, with Biden leading but not yet securing the required electoral votes to defeat Trump.

Abstract

As the electoral count stands at 224 for Biden and 213 for Trump, the author reflects on the tight race and the potential for Biden to win Arizona, which would bring him closer to the needed 270 electoral votes. Despite early indications, Biden's loss in Florida and the unexpectedly close race in Pennsylvania have contributed to the author's lack of confidence in Biden's victory. The author also laments the Republican Party's likely continued control of the Senate, as the Democrats seem unlikely to gain the necessary four seats. With Texas remaining solidly red and Trump's dominance in rural areas, the author feels a sense of loss and fears that a second Trump term could fundamentally alter the United States.

Opinions

The author believed Biden would win Florida but was disappointed by the results, particularly in Miami-Dade.
The author anticipated a Biden victory in Pennsylvania, given its perceived vulnerability to Trump's policies, but is now concerned by Trump's lead with a significant portion of the vote still uncounted.
Despite some shifts towards Democrats in certain Texas counties, the author acknowledges Trump's overall strength in the state, including their home county of Wise.
The author is skeptical of the polls' accuracy, citing Lindsay Graham's unexpectedly large victory in South Carolina.
The author fears that another Trump term could spell the end of the United States as they know it.
The author feels that the future of the country is at stake as the nation awaits the final election results.

The Day After

And I’m not feeling good about it

As of this writing, the count is 224 to 213. Biden leads Trump in the electoral count on the way to 270. It looks like Arizona will go to the Vice-President, which would leave him 32 electoral votes away from unseating the President.

But I don’t feel confident right now that Biden will win.

I really thought that Biden would win in Florida, but while watching the numbers last night, I knew that the wins in the big counties would not be enough. Miami-Dade looked to be a runaway early, but Trump closed the gap, and I knew Florida was lost. There will be a lot written about what went wrong for the Biden campaign in Miami

I also thought Biden would win Pennsylvania. If there is a state more rocked by Trump’s policies, I figured it would be the Keystone State. But with almost 80% of the vote counted, Trump leads by almost 400,000 votes. And it may be days before Pennsylvania finishes the vote tally.

I knew that Trump would win my home state of Texas, but I had hoped for an upset. Tarrant County (Fort Worth) almost turned blue, but Trump leads that county by about 2000 votes. He also won Denton and Collin county (just to the north). I live in Wise County, about 35 miles northwest of Fort Worth. Trump got nearly 27,000 votes, while Biden under 5,000. And that was the trend across most of rural Texas. Trump dominated.

The Senate looks to continue to be a GOP stronghold too. The Democrats may gain a few seats, but they needed four. I don’t see that happening. Lindsay Graham in South Carolina ran away from his challenger. All the polls were very wrong on that one.

Right now, I see a potential 267 electoral votes for Biden. That’s not enough. And I’m feeling lost. I’m one of those who truly believes that another Trump term will be the end of the United States that I grew up with.

Now we wait. And the fate of this country hangs in the balance.