By Alexander Stockton Video Journalist, Opinion |
Joe Biden gets sworn in today. Amid a pandemic and the country’s biggest ever protests, he beat Donald Trump. And I bet you have a theory for how he did it. But I promise you, that theory is much too simple. |
Election outcomes rarely come down to one grand unifying principle. No, an election is much more like an exceptionally complicated marble run. There are obstacles, forks in the road. |
In a video published yesterday, Michelle Cottle, an editorial board member, and I followed the winning Biden marble through the election machine. We analyzed the countless excruciating decisions made by Democrats at every level, from Biden himself all the way down to rank-and-file operatives, that helped keep his ball rolling. |
 | | Tom McCarten |
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It’s an epic tale — a magazine cover story in video form — encompassing everything from a South Carolina fish fry to a secret meeting by a group known as the Democracy Defense Nerve Center. |
At the outset of my reporting, I initially worried that going back through the campaign would be a slog. We all followed it so closely; what else was there to learn? |
But what I found surprised me. So many brilliant moves were made — many of which have been overlooked or forgotten in the chaos that was 2020. And the right decisions often didn’t seem right at the time. |
For example, the pandemic was a nightmare for the Biden campaign. National crises typically inspire patriotism and garner public support for the president. It’s a political phenomenon known as the “rally ’round the flag” effect. With the spotlight suddenly on his opponent, how did Biden respond? He retreated to his basement. |
Biden’s counterintuitive decision to mostly run his campaign from his home in Delaware and cancel his rallies frustrated many Democrats. But it turned out that Biden’s move was savvy. And there are so many more like this. |
Remember our collective eye roll when Biden printed his hokey “No Malarkey” slogan on his campaign buses? This too turned out to be a smart move. Or when in one week in March, nearly every Democratic primary candidate dropped out of the race and endorsed him? A crucial decision was being made in that moment. |
As Biden takes his seat in the Oval Office — whether you hoped he would or not — take a moment to look at what a precarious journey it was for him to get there. |
Here’s what we’re focusing on today: |
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