United States | Lexington

A Democratic defeat in victory

If Joe Biden’s party cannot wrest power from the Republicans now, when ever will it?

BESIDES DONALD TRUMP, the election’s big loser was the Democratic Party. Having been predicted to win a governing trifecta, it retained its House majority with around six fewer seats, won the White House by a nerve-jangling margin and has probably fallen short in the Senate. Joe Biden can expect to sign little legislation as a result. He may be constrained in his cabinet appointments. If he nominated as attorney-general Stacey Abrams, the hero of his probable win in Georgia and a hate figure on the right, for example, Mitch McConnell might give her the Merrick Garland treatment.

This article appeared in the United States section of the print edition under the headline “A Democratic defeat in victory”

Suddenly, hope

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