Biden is winning. Democrats are grieving.


As of Wednesday morning, something odd was happening in American politics: Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden appeared to be on track to win the presidency — President Trump's false and premature claims of victory notwithstanding. Yet, Democrats were mostly grieving.
They were grieving because, no matter the result, Trump managed to at least make a race of it. There was no "blue wave." Voters did not utterly repudiate this president, despite having seen his mishandling of the pandemic, and the turbulence of the last four years.
For many left-of-center observers, Trump's resilience is sobering.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
"Biden kept saying about the awfulness of the Trump era, 'That's not who we are,'" tweeted Paul Krugman, the liberal New York Times columnist. "Well, it's not who the majority of us are — [Biden is] probably going to win the popular vote by 5 percent or so. But it is, it turns out, who a lot of us are."
This is true, but it was always true. For all the talk of "the failure of polling," the polls have got one thing absolutely right in recent years: Trump has never been popular — but he has never been massively unpopular, either. He has generally held an approval rating of at least 40 percent, which means there have always been a lot of Americans who like Trump and what he represents.
There are few definitive, final victories in American politics. The work — like this election, apparently — never ends.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Joel Mathis is a writer with 30 years of newspaper and online journalism experience. His work also regularly appears in National Geographic and The Kansas City Star. His awards include best online commentary at the Online News Association and (twice) at the City and Regional Magazine Association.
-
What happens if tensions between India and Pakistan boil over?
TODAY'S BIG QUESTION As the two nuclear-armed neighbors rattle their sabers in the wake of a terrorist attack on the contested Kashmir region, experts worry that the worst might be yet to come
-
Why Russia removed the Taliban's terrorist designation
The Explainer Russia had designated the Taliban as a terrorist group over 20 years ago
-
Inside the Israel-Turkey geopolitical dance across Syria
THE EXPLAINER As Syria struggles in the wake of the Assad regime's collapse, its neighbors are carefully coordinating to avoid potential military confrontations
-
'Like a sound from hell': Serbia and sonic weapons
The Explainer Half a million people sign petition alleging Serbian police used an illegal 'sound cannon' to disrupt anti-government protests
-
The arrest of the Philippines' former president leaves the country's drug war in disarray
In the Spotlight Rodrigo Duterte was arrested by the ICC earlier this month
-
Ukrainian election: who could replace Zelenskyy?
The Explainer Donald Trump's 'dictator' jibe raises pressure on Ukraine to the polls while the country is under martial law
-
Why Serbian protesters set off smoke bombs in parliament
THE EXPLAINER Ongoing anti-corruption protests erupted into full view this week as Serbian protesters threw the country's legislature into chaos
-
Who is the Hat Man? 'Shadow people' and sleep paralysis
In Depth 'Sleep demons' have plagued our dreams throughout the centuries, but the explanation could be medical