The long-awaited results are in. The US has officially elected a new President and Vice President.
The United States has chosen its next leaders: Joe Biden and Kamala Harris.
A historic election
History is being made in a number of ways.
Harris is the first woman to be elected US Vice President. The politician also is the first person of African descent, and of South Asian descent, chosen as US Vice President. She’s the first person in a mixed marriage to be elected US Vice President, as well – her husband, lawyer Douglas Emhoff, is Caucasian.
At 77, Biden is the oldest elected US President in history. He is also the second Catholic US President ever chosen, after John F. Kennedy.
This is the first time in over a quarter of a century that a US President (Donald Trump) has not been chosen to serve two consecutive 4-year terms.
Finally, the 2020 US presidential election is thought to have generated the highest voter turnout in 120 years. Experts say that about 70% of eligible voters participated in 2020, coming close to the record 73.7% turnout of 1900 (when major candidates were William McKinley and William Jennings Bryan). For comparison, the 2016 presidential election (in which Trump and Hillary Clinton were major candidates) saw just 56% turnout.
Prime Minister sends congratulations
Prime Minister Erna Solberg sent congratulations to Biden and Harris.
Biden and Harris: Initial reactions
Shortly after the news broke across major US news outlets, Biden and Harris shared their initial public reactions:
For national health care in America and the environment – and I see ForMin Søreide is eagerly and happily welcoming us back into the Paris accords – Harris and Biden’s election is VERY good news.
For the now skyrocketing probability of World War 3, thanks to their neocon/”liberal interventionist” compulsive anti-Russianism, it is very bad news.
And Norway should seriously consider whether it wants to go along and be dragged into World War 3 and – in any case – whether there should be a massive re-build of Norwegian civil defense – sivillforsvars – while there may still be time.