Page 7 - Florida Sentinel 11-13-20

Political
Biden Victory-Speech Event Mixes Jubilation With Social Distancing
Biden Plans To Move Fast On The Pandemic And Economy
The Biden campaign ad- justed to the coronavirus pan- demic early by hosting drive-in stump speeches dur- ing the campaign instead of traditional political rallies.
On Saturday night, roughly 400 cars parked outside the campaign headquarters to lis- ten to Biden and Harris.
The staff passed out g l o w sticks and American flags to supporters, who were dancing as music played be- fore the speech.
Biden said one of his top pri- orities would be countering the coronavirus pandemic.
"On Monday, I will name a group of leading scientists and experts as transition advisers to help take the Biden-Har- ris plan and convert it into an action blueprint that will re- store it on January 20, 2021," Biden told supporters as they honked and cheered. "I will spare no effort, none, or any commitment to turn around this pandemic."
At a rally in Philadelphia
President-elect Joe Biden speaks, Saturday, Nov. 7, 2020, in Wilmington, Del.
last month, Biden said he'd prefer to run a normal cam- paign, but the drive-in struc- ture was necessary due to the pandemic.
“I don’t like the idea of all this distance, but it’s neces- sary," Biden told supporters Oct. 24. “We don’t want to be- come superspreaders.”
After the speech, Biden and Harris's families came onstage clad in masks to cele- brate with the future president and vice president.
President-elect Joe Biden and his advisers plan this week to demonstrate a far more assertive strategy against the coronavirus than Presi- dent Trump’s, and Biden may take a more proactive role in coming weeks in congres- sional negotiations over an economic stimulus package.
Biden’s proposals, some of which were posted on his new transition website, include aiming to secure funds for ramping up coronavirus test- ing, acquiring additional pro- tective equipment such as masks and gowns, and invest- ing $25 billion in vaccine man- ufacturing and distribution.
Biden’s aides, saying they recognize that the United States has one president at a time, nonetheless hope to seize on the momentum from his victory to signal decisive action on the major crises engulfing the nation. That could be com-
PRESIDENT-ELECT JOE BIDEN
plicated, however, by Trump’s refusal to concede and the fact that some states are still finalizing their vote counts.
Biden’s preparations come as some Republicans said they will continue challenging the
results showing that Biden has captured the White House. GOP leaders such as Senate Majority Leader Mitch Mc- Connell (R-Ky.) have yet to publicly acknowledge Biden’s victory.
In a move that appeared de- signed to encourage more Re- publicans to accept the election’s outcome, former president George W. Bush on Sunday announced that he had called Biden, as well as Vice President-elect Ka- mala D. Harris, to congratu- late them on their win.
“Though we have political differences, I know Joe Biden to be a good man, who has won his opportunity to lead and unify our country,” Bush said in a statement. “I offered him the same thing I offered Pres- idents Trump and Obama: my prayers for his success, and my pledge to help in any way I can.”
Black Youth Voter Turnout Helps Propel Biden To Victory
As the nation grapples with looming societal issues like racial injustice, the public health crisis, climate change and a myr- iad of other matters, young vot- ers made sure their calls for change were heard at the polls. According to Vox, there was a significant increase in youth voter turnout, especially amongst young voters of color.
Data from AP VoteCast and the National Election Poll showed President-elect Joe Biden received an outpour of support from Black voters be- tween the ages of 18 to 29. In Georgia and North Carolina— two states that have historically been red—90 percent of Black youth voted for Biden. Youth votership in Georgia contributed to 21 percent of the state’s votes. The state of Michigan saw a sig- nificant increase in young voter turnout with 9.4 percent of early votes coming from youth. The New York Times reported that nationally 62 percent of youth voted for the Biden-Harris ticket.
“Personally, as an African American male, I’ve witnessed from my own community how important civic engagement and getting involved has been for the upcoming election,” Wayne State student Kamali Clora told the Detroit Free Press. “A
Black youth voters came out in big numbers.
lot of the social issues directly af- fect people of color and it is something that has challenged a lot of people to get involved. We need seats at the table.” Ciarra Malone, who serves as Geor- gia’s State Coordinator for the Campus Vote Project, says the youth vote is what ultimately flipped Georgia into a blue state. “Georgia is only a battleground state right now because of the youth vote and how many young people in the Atlanta area have turned out to vote,” she told TIME. “Organizers, especially young organizers, have been working especially hard.”
The increase in youth voter engagement is indicative of the fact that the future belongs to the leaders of tomorrow.
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