"‘Path is the key:’ The Doors’ drummer on what lights his fire" PBS NewsHour 12/06/2020
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SUMMARY: 50 years ago this month, The Doors played its final show in New Orleans. For the band's drummer, John Densmore, the ensuing years have been a continued artistic exploration - one that has included music, but also an examination into the meaning of creative fulfillment. He spoke with NewsHour Weekend’s Christopher Booker about his new book, “The Seekers.”
"In Ethiopia, a growing humanitarian crisis threatens regional stability" PBS NewsHour 12/05/2020
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SUMMARY: Hundreds of thousands of people are displaced as fighting continues between government forces and the Tigray People’s Liberation Front in northern Ethiopia, threatening the stability of a volatile region. Cameron Hudson, senior fellow at the Atlantic Council’s Africa Center and former Director for African Affairs at the National Security Council joins to discuss the conflict and its impact.
"Shields and Brooks on the damage done by Trump’s claims of election fraud" PBS NewsHour 12/04/2020
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SUMMARY: Syndicated columnist Mark Shields and New York Times columnist David Brooks join Judy Woodruff to discuss the week in politics, including the Biden team’s transition to the White House and the impact of Trump’s election fraud claims.
Judy Woodruff (NewsHour): And now it's time for the analysis of Shields and Brooks. That is syndicated columnist Mark Shields, and New York Times columnist David Brooks.
Hello to both of you.
I want to pick up with what we were hearing, Mark, from Congressman Riggleman of Virginia, talking about putting party over country. That was something he wasn't comfortable with, and talking about conspiracy theories, all of this stemming from President Trump insisting that he's won the election, that the election was completely riddled with fraud.
We're now hearing a number of Republicans calling for other Republicans to call the President out. How much damage is being done by what is going on right now, Mark?
Mark Shields, syndicated columnist: I can't calculate it, Judy, in concrete terms, other than to say it's dangerous.
I mean, America has been the envy of the world. It's been an example to bring millions of people to our shores, a free and open democracy, where every voice is heard. And to have the elected leader of that nation charge that it is not that, that it's corrupt, that it's criminal, is damaging beyond my calculation.
And I just — I think — I hope it's reparable, but we will — it will be a while before we find out just how much damage has been done.
Judy Woodruff: David, how deep is the damage that's being done?
David Brooks, New York Times: Well, 77 percent of Republicans or Trump backers say the election was stolen by fraud, according to a Monmouth poll. A lot of those same people don't believe in manmade climate change. A lot of those same people don't believe that masks can save your life.
So, there's a section of a country that's become detached from reality and, under Trump paranoia, has become a style, a resurgent style.
I wrote a column about this a week ago. And I tried to theorize that this derives out of a sense of menace and threat, that people feel existentially unsafe, and so they grasp for conspiracy theories, because it makes them feel powerful, that they see the truth. It makes them feel agency. They can expose the evil cabals.
And I think there's some truth to that, that people — a lot of people just feel very scared economically, socially, racially. And out of that fear comes paranoia.
But I got a lot of e-mails from people. Like, I got one from a guy in Palo Alto. And he said, the neurosurgeon down my block believes all this stuff. So, where's his anxiety? And I'd say, I don't know the answer to that question.
But there is a lot of anxiety. There's a lot of fear, and out of that has arisen an entire industry of paranoia-mongering. The Newsmax, the far right-wing media TV station, their viewership has gone up 20 times since the election. So, that paranoia is pretty deep and pretty widespread right now.
Judy Woodruff: Mark, we are — as a news organization, the "NewsHour" is trying to understand this. I know other news organizations are as well.
We want to understand the origin of this and how deep it goes and how long-lasting. How much does it matter that we try to tackle this right now? Is it — I guess what I'm trying to understand, is this a flight of fancy, that we're just living through a brief period, and we're going to wake up in a few weeks or months, and we're going to be past it, or is this with us for a long time?
Mark Shields: Well, no, I mean, I think David put his finger on it, as he does regularly.
This also has a commercial aspect to it. I mean, there is a profit in upping your viewership if you're spinning paranoid theories to your listeners and explaining that the other side — you never argue on the merits, Judy. What it comes down to is, the other side is evil.
I mean, that is the first thing I learned when I came to Washington, that you don't question the motives of somebody on the other side, that they love their country and their children as much as you do. And they may be mistaken, they may be ill-informed, they may be illogical, but you don't start off with, they're evil.
Well, that is — that's where these arguments begin, that it's a sinister, criminal collusion all out to get the American way, to destroy the American way. It is anything we can do to rebut it.
And one hopes that the new administration, with a fresh start, will be a start in that direction. And the fact that the President — that his predecessor is now receding in the rearview mirror, inevitably, I think, has to be helpful.
Judy Woodruff: And, David, I guess my question is, is his predecessor disappearing in the rearview mirror? He's raised over $200 million and counting since the Election Day for his legal defense fund.
But we are now learning that money, most of that money can go toward his new political venture, whatever it may be. President Trump may be here for a long time to come.
David Brooks: He's certainly talking like he will run again in 2024.
And Josh Hawley, the senator from Missouri, said that, if Trump runs again, he would endorse him and expect him to win. And he might. He might win the nomination again. So, I don't think we have seen — maybe not seen the last of him.
The problem with all the paranoia and the conspiracy theory is, you can't talk people out of it. The psychological research is super clear on this, that if you try to fact-check people when they have incorrect facts, you only entrench their belief, that you can't talk people out of an emotional state.
And so I think the two things that we can do is try to have contact, more contact between, frankly, those of us in the expert class, who tend to live in blue America, in the metro areas, and people in the rural country.
COVID doesn't allow that. But traveling around the country is a good way to alleviate a lot of the barriers between us. And, second, somehow, life has to become more secure for a lot of people. And I'm hoping the administration, the new administration, will pass legislation that makes life economically more secure, so that sense of existential anxiety goes away.
Judy Woodruff: Well, we can certainly hope not only the economy gets better, that we will all be able to travel more, get around, see our fellow Americans, family and friends in the not-too-distant future.
But, Mark, let's talk about Joe Biden, the President-elect. Since the last time I saw the two of you, two weeks ago, before Thanksgiving, he's named more of the senior members of his team, his Secretary of State Tony Blinken, his Secretary of the Treasury Janet Yellen, a number of others.
What do you make of the team so far?
Mark Shields: Well, I would say, the reviews, Judy, that are in are quite positive.
I mean, they reflect Joe Biden. They're experienced. They believe in public service. They're people whom he knows, again, unlike his unnamed predecessor, who chose a Secretary of State because he had a very active passport and had traveled a lot and looked like a secretary of state. He's choosing somebody with whom he's worked for close to a generation, experienced people, people who believe in public service.
And I guess dully competent would be the unflattering observation. But I'm impressed. And you mentioned a Janet Yellen. I think that is a 10 strike. I mean, to have the chairman of the — former chairman of the Fed, former chairman of the Council of Economic Advisers of her stature and, figuratively speaking, and just her values as Secretary of the Treasury, I think is just awfully important, especially with Joe Biden, who has great experience in foreign policy and — but not deep in financial matters.
So, I'm encouraged by them.
Judy Woodruff: David, what's your take on these folks Joe Biden is naming?
David Brooks: Yes, I'm super encouraged too.
It's Biden being Biden. It's Biden people — picking people he's comfortable with, people he knows, and people who you could wake up in the middle of night, and they could do the job. Janet Yellen is super well-prepared to be Treasury Secretary, Jake Sullivan, a rising young star in the policy world. Jared Bernstein has been on this program many times in the economic world.
Neera Tanden will be our flashiest OMB Director in history, but someone who's been around and who just knows the job. And so you can rest assured that these are people who have experience and often served in the job right below them in the Obama administration. So, we can expect fewer own goals under them.
Judy Woodruff: Well, we're seeing, Mark, a number of women put into — or nominated for prominent roles, powerful roles in the new administration.
But there's still some interest groups out there saying there's not enough diversity here, for example, NAACP saying, where are the blacks in senior Cabinet jobs?
How much pressure is Joe Biden under to name a more diverse — more diverse leaders in — to his team — for his team?
Mark Shields: Well, I mean, the diversity so far, Judy, I mean, I don't think anybody can make the case that it's for diversity's sake. Everybody who's been chosen is somebody who qualified and is qualified for the position to which they were named, irrespective of race or gender or whatever.
I think that, as far as women is concerned, I mean, Joe Biden's campaign was run by Anita Dunn and Jen O'Malley Dillon, two women. I mean, he's used to having women. His sister Valerie ran all his other early campaigns for the Senate. So, that is — that's a natural. That's not window dressing. That's a very natural development.
I think that the most important voice to Joe Biden has to be that of Congressman Jim Clyburn. And Jim Clyburn has been critical of the paucity of African Americans in the Cabinet.
Joe Biden came crawling out of Iowa, limping out of New Hampshire. He was dead on arrival in South Carolina, until African American voters, led by — led by Jim Clyburn, endorsed him and made him the nominee. So, if he's going to heed any voice, the voice of Jim Clyburn is the voice that Joe Biden will be responsive to, and legitimately so.
Judy Woodruff: And, David, how much pressure do you think Biden is under to name — get some more diverse figures in this Cabinet in top jobs? And how much does it matter?
David Brooks: Well, pressure implies resistance. I don't think there's any resistance.
I think Joe Biden wants to have a diverse Cabinet. He wants to have a Cabinet that looks like America, in part because it's a better Cabinet idea. You have — the bigger diversity of viewpoints and backgrounds, the better decisions that get made.
And I don't think he will have any problem finding African Americans. He's already found Linda Thomas-Greenfield, who's the — his choice for the U.N. Secretary — our Ambassador to the U.N. And she's someone who has a long time career in the Foreign Service, somebody who ran the Africa desk under Obama. I'm sure he will find many more people under that.
I think it's important to have vast diversity. I hate to — when it gets reduced to a demographic label and a person is filling in a slot. The person is the person. And all the people he's picked so far and in the future are A-team. They're super talented.
And so I'd hate to see it get down — it appear, even appear like it's just because of somebody's skin color or anything, because I don't think it ever is going to be that.
Judy Woodruff: Well, he's saying he's got more to name. He said you will know who they are in the next few weeks, and he said you can judge it then.
So, we will keep talking about it, keep looking at it.
Mark Shields: Yes.
Judy Woodruff: Thank you both, David Brooks, Mark Shields. Thank you.
Mark Shields: Thanks, Judy.
"Honoring 5 people who have died from the coronavirus" PBS NewsHour 12/04/2020
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SUMMARY: As another week of this devastating pandemic comes to an end, NewsHour is taking a moment to honor some of those we've lost to COVID-19.
"Tiny Belgian town is now at the center of a global vaccine race" PBS NewsHour 12/04/2020
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SUMMARY: The first doses of the long-awaited COVID-19 vaccine are on their way to the United Kingdom, the earliest western country to grant emergency authorization. The vaccine is manufactured by the U.S. pharmaceutical giant Pfizer, but most of the 1.3 billion shots Pfizer hopes to deliver in 2021 will be produced in the tiny factory town of Puurs, Belgium. Special correspondent Lucy Hough reports.
"Hiring slows in the U.S. as millions face losing unemployment benefits" PBS NewsHour 12/04/2020
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SUMMARY: The latest jobs report released by the Department of Labor Friday estimates the economy has not yet replaced about 10 millions jobs lost last spring, with many Americans now close to losing their unemployment benefits. Wendy Edelberg, director of the Hamilton Project and a former chief economist for the Congressional Budget Office, joins Amna Nawaz to discuss the country's economic outlook.
"Renaissance master painter breaks gender barriers centuries later" PBS NewsHour 12/02/2020
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SUMMARY: Artemisia Gentileschi, a woman who painted her way to fame in the 1600s was largely forgotten for centuries. But more recently she is getting her full recognition at an exhibition in London's National Gallery. Jeffrey Brown has the story.
"I will show your illustrious lordship what a woman can do."
"Why this Georgia election official called out Trump’s fraud claims" PBS NewsHour 12/02/2020
COMMENT: Simple answer, Trump is a lier and throwing a tantrum like a 5 year old.
Excerpt
SUMMARY: A top Georgia election official on Tuesday had sharp words for President Trump and some Republicans, as the president continues to cast doubts on Georgia's election results with disproven claims of widespread fraud. Gabriel Sterling, who works with the Georgia secretary of state’s office, joins Judy Woodruff to discuss his comments.
"Democrats shift position on a sized-down economic relief bill" PBS NewsHour 12/02/2020
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SUMMARY: Lawmakers are under pressure to reach another economic relief deal as COVID-19 cases and deaths spike across the country. Illinois Sen. Dick Durbin is the second-highest ranking Democrat in the U.S Senate. He joins Judy Woodruff to discuss a new bipartisan proposal and why Democrats have changed their stance on a relief bill.
"What are the obstacles for Republican support of a bipartisan relief bill?" PBS NewsHour 12/02/2020
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SUMMARY: House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said in a statement Wednesday that the bipartisan COVID relief bill just unveiled should be the starting point for negotiations going forward. Republican Sen. Bill Cassidy of Louisiana is one of the lawmakers responsible for that bipartisan bill. He joins Judy Woodruff to discuss.
"Supreme Court reviews Trump effort to change census data on immigrants" PBS NewsHour 11/30/2020
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SUMMARY: President Trump’s immigration policies and the U.S. census were back at the Supreme Court on Monday. As John Yang reports, the issues at stake in the case have the potential of shaping congressional and presidential politics for years to come.
"Remembering Tony Hsieh, a visionary who transformed online business" PBS NewsHour 11/30/2020
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SUMMARY: Tony Hsieh, the retired CEO of the online shoe store Zappos, died on Friday from injuries suffered in a fire. Throughout the tech industry he had been seen as a visionary who revolutionized online commerce. He was 46 years old. Last year, Steve Goldbloom, of our "That Moment When" team, spoke to Hsieh about his career and the importance of shared values at his company.
"What Biden’s choices for his economic team say about his priorities" PBS NewsHour 11/30/2020
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SUMMARY: President-elect Joe Biden on Monday named a diverse group to lead his economic team, including Janet Yellen, the former head of the Federal Reserve, as his choice for Treasury Secretary. Jim Tankersley, who covers economics for The New York Times and is author of the recent book, "The Riches of This Land," joins Judy Woodruff to discuss.
"Biden’s economic team faces unprecedented crises in shift from Trump" PBS NewsHour 12/01/2020
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SUMMARY: President-elect Joe Biden on Tuesday introduced his economic team, which is planning on making a sharp shift from the Trump years and his economic policies. Lisa Desjardins and Yamiche Alcindor join Judy Woodruff to discuss.
"Biden’s transition pushes ahead amid grim economic outlook" PBS NewsHour 12/04/2020
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SUMMARY: The Biden White House transition continues though the president-elect is already facing what may be his greatest challenges, as the pandemic fills hospitals and jars the economy again. Meanwhile, the Trump campaign continues to lose its legal challenges in moving to dispute the election result. Judy Woodruff has the story.
"Transition process formally under way. GSA action allows briefings, funding for Biden team." by U-T News Services, San Diego Union-Tribune 11/21/2020
NOTE: This is copied from the e-newspaper, therefore no link to article.
President Donald Trump’s government on Monday authorized president-elect Joe Biden to begin a formal transition process after Michigan certified Biden as its winner, a strong sign that the President’s last-ditch bid to overturn the results of the election was coming to an end.
Trump did not concede, and vowed to persist with efforts to change the vote. But the President said on Twitter on Monday night that he accepted the decision by Emily Murphy, the administrator of the General Services Administration [GSA], to allow a transition to proceed.
In his tweet, Trump said that he had told his officials to begin “initial protocols” involving the handoff to Biden “in the best interest of our country.”
Murphy’s designation of Biden as the apparent victor provides the incoming administration with federal funds and resources and clears the way for the president-elect’s advisers to coordinate with Trump administration officials.
The decision from Murphy came after several additional senior Republican lawmakers, as well as leading figures from business and world affairs, denounced the delay in allowing the peaceful transfer of power to begin, a holdup that Biden and his top aides said was threatening national security and the ability of the incoming administration to effectively plan for combating the coronavirus pandemic.
And it followed a key court decision in Pennsylvania, where the state’s Supreme Court on Monday ruled against the Trump campaign and the President’s Republican allies, stating that roughly 8,000 ballots with signature or date irregularities must be counted.
In Michigan, the statewide canvassing board, with two Republicans and two Democrats, voted, 3-0, to approve the results, with one Republican abstaining. It officially delivered to Biden a key battleground that Trump had wrested away from Democrats four years ago, and rebuffed the President’s legal and political efforts to overturn the results.
By Monday evening, as Biden moved ahead with plans to fill out his Cabinet, broad sectors of the nation had delivered a blunt message to the President: His campaign to stay in the White House was nearing the end.
Murphy said she made her decision Monday because of “recent developments involving legal challenges and certifications of election results,” most likely referring to the certification of votes by election officials in Michigan and a nearly unbroken string of court decisions that have rejected Trump’s challenges in several states.
In conversations earlier in the day with top aides — including Mark Meadows, the White House Chief of Staff; Pat Cipollone, the White House Counsel; and Jay Sekulow, the President’s personal lawyer — Trump was told that the transition needed to begin. He did not need to say the word “concede,” they told him, according to multiple people briefed on the discussions. But they emphasized that in the United States, transitions are hugely important.
Some of the advisers drafted a statement for the President to issue. But Trump continued to solicit opinions from associates, including Rudy Giuliani, who told him there were still legal avenues to pursue, the people briefed on the discussions said.
In the end, Trump did not put out a statement, but aides said the tone of the proposed statement was similar to his tweets in the evening, in which he appeared to take credit for Murphy’s decision to allow the transition to a new administration to begin.
“Our case STRONGLY continues, we will keep up the good fight, and I believe we will prevail!” he wrote. “Nevertheless, in the best interest of our Country, I am recommending that Emily and her team do what needs to be done with regard to initial protocols, and have told my team to do the same.”
In a letter to Biden, Murphy rebutted Trump’s assertion that he had directed her to make the decision, saying that “I came to my decision independently, based on the law and available facts.” She said she was “never directly or indirectly pressured by any executive branch official — including those who work at the White House or the GSA.”
“I do not think that an agency charged with improving federal procurement and property management should place itself above the constitutionally-based election process,” she wrote, defending her delay by saying that she did not want to get ahead of the constitutional process of counting votes and picking a President.
Murphy said she had received threats online, by phone, and by mail “directed at my safety, my family, my staff, and even my pets in an effort to coerce me into making this determination prematurely.”
“Even in the face of thousands of threats, I always remained committed to upholding the law,” the letter said.
She did not describe Biden as the “president-elect” in her letter, even as she said the transition could begin.
One associate with knowledge of Murphy’s thinking said that she always anticipated signing off on the transition but that she needed a defensible rationale to do so in the absence of a concession from Trump; the pro-Biden developments in Michigan and Pennsylvania, as well as in Georgia, provided a clear justification for moving ahead.
That decision was part of a cascade of events over the last several days that appeared to signal the end of Trump’s attempts to resist the will of the voters.
Large counties in Pennsylvania were formalizing Biden’s victory in the state. And in a major break with the President, General Motors announced it would no longer back the administration’s efforts to nullify California’s fuel economy rules.
On Capitol Hill, most of Trump’s Republican allies had stood by his side for the past two weeks as he [Trump] tried to overturn the vote. But on Monday, some of the Senate’s most senior Republicans sharply urged Murphy to allow the transition to proceed.
Sen. Lamar Alexander of Tennessee, who is retiring, issued his second call in recent days for a prompt transition.
“Since it seems apparent that Joe Biden will be the president-elect, my hope is that President Trump will take pride in his considerable accomplishments, put the country first and have a prompt and orderly transition to help the new administration succeed,” said Alexander, a close friend of Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-Ky) the Senate majority leader. “When you are in public life, people remember the last thing you do.”
Earlier in the day, Sens. Rob Portman of Ohio and Shelley Moore Capito of West Virginia, both Republicans, issued statements breaking from Trump and calling for Biden to begin receiving coronavirus and national security briefings.
“At some point, the 2020 election must end,” Capito said.
The pressure on Trump extended beyond the political sphere. More than 100 business leaders sent a letter to the administration on Monday asking it to facilitate a transition, and a group of Republican national security experts implored Republican members of Congress to demand that Trump concede.
One of the President’s staunchest supporters, Stephen Schwarzman, the chief executive of the private equity firm Blackstone, did not sign the business leaders’ letter but said in a statement that “the outcome is very certain today and the country should move on.”
The New York Times and The Washington Post contributed to this report.
I am not Catholic but good music is good music, especially when performed by two artists I love.
Also considering what is happening today with COVID-19 and Trump, this song is appropriate.
"Vice President-elect Harris’ win brings many historic firsts" PBS NewsHour 11/08/2020
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SUMMARY: Kamala Harris gave her victory speech wearing all white on Saturday night after her glass ceiling-shattering win as Vice President-elect. Barbara Perry, Director of Presidential Studies and co-chair of the Presidential Oral History Program at the University of Virginia's Miller Center, joins Hari Sreenivasan to discuss the historic nature of Harris’ election and the road it took to get here.
"Dems won the race but the GOP will control the presidency" PBS NewsHour 11/08/2020
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SUMMARY: While Joe Biden and Kamala Harris are headed to the White House, Democrats who were hoping to increase their margins in the House and take control of the Senate, failed to strengthen their position in Congress. Jeff Greenfield joins to discuss the election results and how the Senate runoff in Georgia will determine the future of Biden’s presidency.
"Lack of evidence make Trump’s legal challenge an uphill battle" PBS NewsHour 11/07/2020
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SUMMARY: President Trump has vowed to challenge the election results, which have declared Joe Biden as the President-Elect. The legal challenges began well before Election Day with lawsuits over mail-in voting and which ballots were “legally” cast. Guy-Uriel Charles, professor of law at Duke University and co-director of the Center of Law, Race and Politics joins to discuss.
"Biden will take over a deeply divided nation in crisis" PBS NewsHour 11/07/2020
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SUMMARY: With news outlets from the Associated Press to Fox News calling the election in favor of Joe Biden on Saturday, President Trump’s camp continued their legal efforts to contest the election results, and many Republican leaders remained silent. Yamiche Alcindor joins Hari Sreenivasan to discuss Trump’s strategy, as well as Kamala Harris’ historic win as the first woman of color to be elected Vice President.
"Georgia to be ‘center of the American political universe’ during recount, runoff election" PBS NewsHour 11/07/2020
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SUMMARY: Nearly 5 million ballots were cast in Georgia, where razor-thin margins in the presidential election mean the state will enter a recount process in the coming weeks, and a January runoff will decide the fate of both the state’s Senate seats. Georgia Public Broadcasting’s Rickey Bevington joins Hari Sreenivasan to discuss why, between now and January’s runoff election, all eyes will be on Georgia.
"‘More lawsuits are coming:’ Trump’s lawyers layout plans as AP calls race for Biden" PBS NewsHour 11/07/2020
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SUMMARY: Shortly after the Associated Press and other TV networks call Pennsylvania and the entire race for Joe Biden, President Trump’s lawyers lay out their plans for a long legal fight over the results. NewsHour’s Dan Bush joins from Philadelphia to discuss the moment Biden’s victory was called and the Trump campaign's plan of action.
"Shields and Brooks on election results, national divisions" PBS NewsHour 11/06/2020
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SUMMARY: Syndicated columnist Mark Shields and New York Times columnist David Brooks join Judy Woodruff to discuss the week in politics, including surprises from a very close presidential election whose result is still unknown, which groups of voters increased their support for President Trump, political challenges for the Democratic Party and what national divisions say about the future of the country.Judy Woodruff (NewsHour): And now to the analysis of Shields and Brooks. That is syndicated columnist Mark Shields and New York Times columnist David Brooks.
So, hello to both of you.
We don't have a result yet, but the votes are being counted like mad. We know the results in a lot of states.
We're waiting.
David, what do you make of what we know so far?
David Brooks, New York Times: Well, if ever there was a campaign that was going to be a blowout, I thought this was it. I thought we had an unpopular President that people were ready to get rid of. I expected a large margin. And I was wrong. It's a 2.8 percentage margin nationally.
And so I think what we have learned is that we a very evenly divided nation, two groups of people in non-overlapping universes. For a time, it seemed — and I think people in both camps thought, well, the people on my team could eventually crush the people on the other team, and my team will get to rule.
I think we now have to face reality. That's just never going to happen. The other side is never going to go away. And we have got to find a way to live with each other.
And so, to me, that's the biggest takeaway of where we are right now.
Judy Woodruff: Mark, divided country.
Mark Shields, syndicated columnist: Divided country, Judy.
But if you look at it in historical perspective, in the last century, only three presidential challengers, nominees have defeated an elected President seeking reelection. And it's a pretty impressive group, if you think about it. It was Franklin Roosevelt, it was Ronald Reagan, and it was Bill Clinton, all of whom were at least two-term presidents. One was a four-term president, and I think history would say successful Presidents.
So, Joe Biden joins a pretty awesome group of people. He will end up, in my judgment, with a 52-47 popular vote percentage, decisively, and decisively in the Electoral College.
David's right. It was close. We are divided.
What surprised me, as much as anything, was the loyalty and the enthusiasm of Donald Trump's constituency. They turned out in surprisingly impressive numbers. And Donald Trump, if he got over his hissy fits and sort of the silly actions since the election, could take credit for the Republicans picking up House seats in 2020 and retaining their majority in the Senate.
With the exception of Susan Collins, every other Republican Senate candidate who won, won with Donald Trump. Susan Collins had a 17-point split in Maine. That was the only ticket-splitting state in the country.
Judy Woodruff: So, David, I know you have also — you have had a chance to look inside some of these numbers, why voters voted, who voted how, and why people voted the way they did.
I mean, even as we're waiting for the final numbers, what does that tell you about the country, about who we are?
David Brooks: Well, I mean, the surprises were the gains that Republicans made among Latinos and African-Americans. Donald Trump had a higher share of the non-white vote than any Republican in 60 years, as he said.
And that was a surprise to me. He doubled his support among the LGBTQ community. And so a lot of people are voting by different narratives. There is a certain narrative that he's a racist and that he's just a force for racism. I think there's a lot of truth to that narrative, but a lot of people clearly have different narratives in their head.
And so I think people — we should be humble about generalizing across groups of people, especially people we have never met. And so I think that.
The second thing is that the Republican Party really is the party of the — of people without college degrees, much more so than ever before. We saw swings of moderates, swings of college-educated suburbanites to the Democratic Party.
And I think the Republican Party can — if they're going to be — feel good about this election, they can see the potential of a future party as a multiracial working-class party. If they can win support across racial lines among those without college degrees, then that's a very viable party, and they should really focus all their attention on, what can we do for people without college degrees of all groups?
Judy Woodruff: What about that, Mark?
And, as you look at how people voted, which way they went, what do you see? What does it tell you about us?
Mark Shields: Picking up on what David said, you can't make generalizations about people you do know, David. You have to make generalizations about people you don't know.
(LAUGHTER)
But the point is that David touched on it on the white blue-collar male vote, one out of three voters in the country.
This was the backbone of the Democratic coalition that elected Franklin Roosevelt and Harry Truman, and Jack Kennedy. It was the message of the entire New Deal, Fair Deal, and New Frontier, that government had a responsibility to guarantee jobs, that you weren't the nation of self-reliance and independence completely, especially in the face of a Great Depression.
But the important thing to remember is that the 346 firefighters who walked into the jaws of death and the fires of hell on September 11 to save strangers that never met and gave their lives so doing were white non-college males, for the most part.
Those who volunteer to defend our country, whether it's joining the Marine Corps or the armed forces, and fight and die, it's their families, and they're the families of white, overwhelmingly white, not-college-educated males.
And the Democrats' problem, I think, is one of attitude as much as it is of platform. I mean, the Democrats, that were once a shot and a beer party have become a Sauvignon blanc party arguing about which wine is more sensitive.
And I really — I really do think this is a problem for Democrats. And they have to — they have to approach with some humility this very important constituency, which Donald Trump beat them almost 2-1 and beat Joe Biden, I mean, who is really probably the personification of what the New Deal was, in terms of personal style, personal values, and personality.
So, he wasn't beating an elitist Ivy Leaguer. So I think that's a real problem for Democrats. And I would add the Hispanics. I think we have learned painfully, did Democrats, that they're there anything but a monolithic constituency, as most proved by the results in Florida.
Judy Woodruff: I want to turn you, David, to the president's reaction so far to the results of the lashing out, the accusations of fraud and the rest of it.
How much does all that matter? I mean, does the delay in announcing — in knowing the result, how much will that matter in the end?
David Brooks: Yes, well, I thought the President in his press conference last night was awful, horrific, if we weren't used to him, but also wan. He looked like he was not really fighting; he was just constructing rationalizations for a man who can admit that he can lose at anything.
And I think I have been heartened, I mean, as we heard from William and others, that there is a lot of crazy stuff going around on the Internet, a lot of conspiracy theories, as if the Democrats have this elaborate vote-rigging thing in which they lose the Senate. Like, it doesn't pass even surface plausibility.
But what has heartened me is that, so far, our system seems to be holding better than many people feared. A lot of Republicans are happy to see Trump go and are ushering statements or just non-statements and not getting on this train.
And state legislators in places like Pennsylvania have said, we're not getting involved in this. And the nightmare scenario was that you would get competing slates of electors from places like Pennsylvania. But that would require the complicity of a lot of the politicians in these states.
Judy Woodruff: Yes.
David Brooks: And, so far, they don't want to get involved.
So, that's — I think the system is doing way better than we could have feared.
Judy Woodruff: You do have Lindsey Graham out there echoing what the President is saying.
David Brooks: Oh, yes, for sure, there are some. And FOX is divided. The all-important FOX News seems to be divided.
But, so far, we have not seen violence that much in the streets. So far, it looks like calmer than many predicted.
Judy Woodruff: Mark, what's your — what is your take on the President and how he is reacting so far and what it says?
(CROSSTALK)
Mark Shields: David, he's younger and more optimistic.
I have to say, I haven't found that many good Germans among the Republicans who are resisting the — just think, Judy. The President, before the largest audience in the history of humankind, according to him, took an oath to solidly preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States.
I just wish he would reflect on that for 30 seconds. What he is doing is undermining confidence and trust in our — in each other, in our country, in our ways.
I have been incredibly impressed by the quality of the secretaries of state who have come on, almost overwhelmingly women, Republicans and Democrats, who have explained what they're doing, have done it in a thoughtful and informed and intelligent way. I have been impressed by the seriousness of purpose that the people have taken in counting.
But I'm waiting for the Republicans. I'm waiting for Rob Portman of Ohio, who everybody says is such a good guy. I'm waiting for him to stand up and say, no, Mr. President, this is wrong.
And we're hearing from the usual suspects. Lindsey Graham makes Tonto look like an independent spirit when it comes to President Trump.
Judy Woodruff: And, David, here at the end, I mean, you're not worried about the fact that — I mean, we don't know how long it's going to take. I mean, there may be a call tonight, for all we know, but it is taking days.
Do you have concern that leaves — casts a pall over this somehow?
David Brooks: Well, for sure.
I mean, there will be a large number of Americans who — if Biden wins, who think Joe Biden is an illegitimate President. We're not — we shouldn't pretend that we're ending an age of polarization.
I'm just hopeful. We're having a different sort of polarization.
Donald Trump was a cultural figure. He was not a policy person, not a government person. It was always: My tribe is good. Your tribe is evil.
And so we have had that kind of polarization. I'm hopeful, if Donald Trump is off the scene, at least there won't be a guy at the top waging a holy war against another identity group every single day.
And so I'm sticking with my blind and completely unrealistic optimism, no matter what's Mark says.
Judy Woodruff: All right, we're going to let you do that, David Brooks. And we're all going to wait and see what happens.
David Brooks, Mark Shields, thank you.
"Biden campaign remains confident as Trump escalates false claims" PBS NewsHour 11/06/2020
Excerpt
SUMMARY: Former Vice President Joe Biden is leading President Trump in three of the five states yet to be called by the Associated Press. Still, it’s not clear when vote counting will conclude. Meanwhile, Trump lashed out at the voting process in a Thursday news briefing, and his campaign is filing lawsuits to challenge results. Yamiche Alcindor reports and joins John Yang and Judy Woodruff to discuss.
"When election disinformation is a domestic threat" PBS NewsHour 11/06/2020
Excerpt
SUMMARY: The week has seen a flood of disinformation about the election -- much of it coming from President Trump and his allies. In addition to false claims about voter fraud, there have been allegations that polling firms conspired to discourage Trump supporters from voting, and social media misinformation remains difficult to control. William Brangham joins Judy Woodruff to discuss facts vs. falsehoods.
"The data behind some surprising election results" PBS NewsHour 11/06/2020
Excerpt
SUMMARY: What trends and shifts accounted for unexpected election results this week? Amna Nawaz and Lisa Desjardins take a look at data from Pennsylvania, Georgia, Iowa, and more states critical to the outcomes of the presidential race and the balance of power in the House and Senate.
"The stark difference between Trump’s and Biden’s responses to vote counting" PBS NewsHour 11/05/2020
Excerpt
SUMMARY: The outcome of the presidential race is still unknown, as a handful of states continue counting ballots. In the meantime, legal challenges to the electoral process and protests are being mounted. Lisa Desjardins reports, and Yamiche Alcindor and John Yang join Judy Woodruff to discuss President Trump’s “misinformation machine” and how the Biden campaign is responding to Trump’s court action.
"The status of vote counts in Pennsylvania, Michigan and Georgia" PBS NewsHour 11/05/2020
Excerpt
SUMMARY: What’s happening on the ground in the critical states where ballots are still being counted -- and how many votes remain to be totaled? Judy Woodruff gets updates from Daniel Bush in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, William Brangham in Detroit, Michigan, and Miles O’Brien in Atlanta, Georgia.
"Key House and Senate races that have yet to be called" PBS NewsHour 11/05/2020
Excerpt
SUMMARY: Although uncertainty over the presidential race’s outcome is the dominant political story, there are still important congressional contests to settle, as well. Amna Nawaz and Lisa Desjardins provide an update on electoral votes, key Senate races in Georgia and North Carolina and the shifting balance of power in the House of Representatives.
"Arizona’s top election official on security of vote-counting process" PBS NewsHour 11/05/2020
Excerpt
SUMMARY: Ballots are still being counted in the battleground state of Arizona, although the Associated Press called the state for Joe Biden on Wednesday. Officials are set to release more vote totals later Thursday evening. Arizona’s top election official, Secretary of State Katie Hobbs, joins Judy Woodruff to discuss processes and progress, the presence of election observers and the threat of litigation.
"Trump lashes out at vote counting as Biden urges patience" PBS NewsHour 11/04/2020
Excerpt
SUMMARY: With votes still being counted in several states, the outcome of the U.S. presidential election remains unknown. Former Vice President Joe Biden expressed confidence in his chance of winning but urged Americans to be patient for results. President Trump, meanwhile, launched unfounded attacks on the integrity of the vote. Yamiche Alcindor reports and joins Judy Woodruff and John Yang to discuss.
"Presidential election updates from 5 key states" PBS NewsHour 11/04/2020
Excerpt
SUMMARY: Several U.S. states were still counting ballots Wednesday, and some of them will decide the outcome of the presidential race. We get updates from Daniel Bush in Pennsylvania, William Brangham in Michigan, Zac Schultz of PBS Wisconsin, Miles O’Brien in Georgia, and John Ralston of the Nevada Independent about the election status in those five states.
"How the GOP unexpectedly gained ground in the House" PBS NewsHour 11/04/2020
Excerpt
SUMMARY: What shifts in the electoral map drove results in the 2020 presidential and congressional races? Amna Nawaz and Lisa Desjardins review the data behind outcomes for President Trump, former Vice President Joe Biden and party control of the House and Senate.
"What happened with the suburban voters Democrats were targeting?" PBS NewsHour 11/04/2020
Excerpt
SUMMARY: Amy Walter of the Cook Political Report and host of the podcast “Politics with Amy Walter” has been analyzing the results of Tuesday’s election. She joins Judy Woodruff to provide insights and help us understand why voters made the decisions they did.
"What we know about vote counting and election-related lawsuits" PBS NewsHour 11/04/2020
Excerpt
SUMMARY: President Trump has made it clear he is willing to challenge the results of state vote counts that have not yet been completed. What legal recourse do candidates have in this situation? Amna Nawaz talks to Tammy Patrick, an expert on election administration with the Democracy Fund and a former Arizona election official, and Stanford Law School’s Nate Persily of the Healthy Elections Project.
"Michigan’s secretary of state on the process of counting votes" PBS NewsHour 11/04/2020
Excerpt
SUMMARY: Former Vice President Joe Biden was declared the winner of Michigan’s electoral votes Wednesday evening by the Associated Press. Although some votes are still being counted, Jocelyn Benson, Michigan’s Secretary of State, said she has been impressed by the efficiency of election workers in delivering accurate results. Benson joins Judy Woodruff to discuss Michigan’s process and progress.
"What Trump and Biden are telling supporters as campaigns wind down" PBS NewsHour 11/02/2020
Excerpt
SUMMARY: As the final hours of the 2020 presidential campaign tick away, nearly 100 million Americans have already cast their ballots -- representing more than two-thirds of all 2016 votes. Meanwhile, the candidates appealed to voters in swing states, including Pennsylvania, which is shaping up to play a critical role. Yamiche Alcindor reports and joins Judy Woodruff and Lisa Desjardins to discuss.
"Why Philadelphia and its surrounding suburbs are ‘absolutely critical’ for Biden" PBS NewsHour 11/02/2020
ExcerptSUMMARY: Pennsylvania could be a critical milestone in any path to victory during this presidential contest. Daniel Bush is on the ground in the swing state, and he joins Judy Woodruff to discuss why Philadelphia and its surrounding suburbs are so important to both candidates, how local election officials are preparing for the vote count and when we might have an understanding of the state’s results.
"Trump and Biden representatives on final campaign strategies" PBS NewsHour 11/02/2020 Excerpt
SUMMARY: President Trump and former Vice President Joe Biden are making their final pitches to voters in the presidential campaign’s closing hours. We check in with representatives for each: Erin Perrine, communications director for Trump’s reelection campaign, and Symone Sanders, a senior adviser to Biden. They join Judy Woodruff to discuss strategies and messages for the lead-up to Election Day.
"Why some Americans have chosen not to vote this year" PBS NewsHour 11/02/2020 Excerpt
SUMMARY: In most recent American elections, about four in 10 eligible voters didn’t cast ballots. Tens of millions are poised to do the same this year. What are non-voters saying about their rationale for sitting out the election -- one that both candidates and many Americans consider the most important in the country’s modern history?
