Dear Joe: Don’t Blow It — By John Reed

Dear Joe: Don’t Blow It
Congratulations to the presumptive president-elect Joe Biden on his exceedingly narrow victory last week. He should not consider the results a “blue wave mandate.” Some 70 million folks voted against him, despite Trump’s polarizing personality; plus most of the under 30s in his own party don’t like or trust him very much.
It’s ironic that Stacy Abram’s efforts to make vote counting more transparent seems to be helping the Republicans push the narrative of counting irregularities in various battleground states. Still, barring any last-minute surprises, there will be a new man in the White House in January. Here are a few thoughts for Joe:
If you truly care about the LGBTQ community, appoint a cabinet member from that group… Like Trump did.
If you truly care about African-Americans and other minorities, keep funding inner city enterprise zones and continue supporting HBCUs… Like Trump did. And appoint minority cabinet members… Like Trump did.
If you truly care about criminal reform, continue the initiatives started by Trump… Unlike your running mate, whose conviction rate in California was nothing short of criminal.
If you truly care about healthcare, fix the public option. More than 150 million people are perfectly happy with insurance they get from their employer… Don’t mess with it.
If you truly care about climate change, let the free market work. Carbon emissions, air and water pollution are all down during the last four years. American ingenuity is at its best when left alone.
Finally, and probably most important: stay healthy and alert. Your vice president and her co-conspirators are circling the Oval Office like vultures just waiting to declare you incompetent. Please Joe, we’re begging you: don’t f*** it up.
To devoted readers (and one or two reliable responders): regardless of the outcome, we here in Jeff Davis County will be fine. While both national parties have their share of extremists, we are largely insulated from all of that down here in the country.
The sun will still rise, crops will still get planted, and the Liars Clubs will still have plenty to talk about around their coffee mugs. Whether it’s the blue breakfast table in the mornings at Manna, or on the church pew at Googe’s later on, the local news of the day will overshadow anything from Fox or MSNBC.
For better or worse, we’ve survived Carter, Reagan, Bush, Clinton, Bush, Obama, Trump…We’ll survive Joe as well.