A New York Magazine columnist has claimed the day of Joe Biden’s election win was the most joyous across the US since V-J DAY in 1945.
The claim, aired by commentator Jonathan Chait, came in the opening sentence of his article Wednesday, and is already spawning fierce debate.
The 46th and current head of state was officially voted in on November 7, 2020, when he clinched enough electoral votes to be named president-elect.
Some celebrations were seen afterwards, mostly confined to progressive cities like New York.
Chait compared those processions to those seen on August 14, 1945, when news of Japan’s WWII surrender caused celebrations to erupt across the US. He wrote of how Biden’s win was the most joyous day since, ignoring a large portion of the country.
A prominent columnist has claimed that the day of Biden’s election win was most joyous public display by American since 1945
Specifically, the pundit said the processions – which were confined to progressive states – only paled in comparison to those seen on August 14, 1945, when news of Japan’s surrender in WWII caused to celebrations to erupt across the US
‘We danced in the streets when Joe Biden was elected. Do you remember?’ the article begins.
‘American cities staged the greatest spontaneous outpouring of joy since V-J Day with cars honking and strangers high-fiving one another on an unusually warm November weekend.
When I ventured down to Black Lives Matter Plaza in Washington, DC, on a Sunday night, a day and a half after the election had been called, the street party was still going,’ the pundit went on, adding, ‘That was just three years ago.’
‘I would estimate that a very tiny percentage of the joy was attributable to specific policy objectives of the incoming Biden administration,’ he proclaimed.
‘[T]hat virtually all of it reflected relief that the bad man was gone.’
The bad man the commentator panned was defeated by Biden by 306-232 electorally, and by a meager 4-point margin in the popular vote.
‘The 81,268,924 voters who pulled the lever for Biden,’ Chait continued , ‘were united by the belief that Donald Trump’s presidency was a civic emergency.’
‘The underlying basis for the belief – that Trump’s defeat mattered more than any other political question,’ he claimed, ‘has not changed.’
‘It has become only more obvious.’
The author of Audacity: How Barack Obama Defied His Critics and Created a Legacy That Will Prevail then accused Trump of attempting to overturn the election result, with claims both before he lost the vote and after.
The assertion, aired by outspoken liberal Jonathan Chait, came in the opening sentence of a New York Magazine article Wednesday, and is already spawning fierce debate
‘We danced in the streets when Joe Biden was elected. Do you remember?’ the article begins. ‘American cities staged the greatest spontaneous outpouring of joy since V-J Day with cars honking and strangers high-fiving one another on an unusually warm November weekend’
‘When I ventured down to Black Lives Matter Plaza in Washington, DC, on a Sunday night, a day and a half after the election had been called, the street party was still going,’ the pundit went on. ‘That was just three years ago.’ Pictured: People celebrating Biden’s win in Times Square
!['I would estimate that a very tiny percentage of the joy was attributable to specific policy objectives of the incoming Biden administration,' he proclaimed. '[T]hat virtually all of it reflected relief that the bad man was gone'](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/01/19/00/80204277-12980889-_I_would_estimate_that_a_very_tiny_percentage_of_the_joy_was_att-a-2_1705623794453.jpg)
‘I would estimate that a very tiny percentage of the joy was attributable to specific policy objectives of the incoming Biden administration,’ he proclaimed. ‘[T]hat virtually all of it reflected relief that the bad man was gone’
The author of Audacity: How Barack Obama Defied His Critics and Created a Legacy That Will Prevail then accused Trump of attempting to overturn the election result, with claims both before he lost the vote and after
He mentioned the January 6 insurrection, and painted Joe Biden, 81, as a savior
Chait also lamented the current state of US politics – before stating that ‘loyal democrats can only appeal to maintaining the system with all its flaws’
He went on to compare this dynamic to the situation in Germany after WWI that led to the rise of Nazi party, following voter dissatisfaction with the Social Democrats who held power at the time.
Comparing political and economic instability seen in the era with the climate of current America, Chait described today’s Democrats (and some Republicans) as ‘an anti-Trump coalition’ – one he claimed is at risk of collapsing due to Biden’s ‘anemic approval rating’
He mentioned the January 6 insurrection, and painted Biden, 81, as a savior. He then descended into a longwinded diatribe that suggested Trump, 77, being up for reelections constitutes a path to authoritarianism.
Chait also lamented the current state of US politics – stating that ‘loyal democrats can only appeal to maintaining the system with all its flaws’.
He went on to compare the dynamic to the situation in Germany following WWI that led to the rise Nazi party, due to voter dissatisfaction with the Social Democrats who held power at the time.
Comparing political and economic instability seen in the era with the climate of current America, Chait described today’s Democrats (and some Republicans) as ‘an anti-Trump coalition’ – one he claimed is at risk of collapsing due to Biden’s ‘anemic approval rating.’
That rating – 31 percent, the lowest on record for a US president in the last 15 years -is ‘[f]ar worse than [that of] Trump, Barack Obama, or any other incumbent at this stage,’ the outspoken op-ed writer concedes.
He then comes up with several philosophical excuses for the dissatisfaction surrounding the current president, such as ‘progressive despondency’ and a disconnect with younger voters.
Conceding ‘the alliance between Biden and the left has begun to fray,’ Chait- after nearly 6,000 words – finally declares that the current commander-in-chief is still society’s best bet for a return to normalcy.
Conceding ‘the alliance between Biden and the left has begun to fray,’ Chait- after nearly 6,000 words – finally declares that the current commander-in-chief is still society’s best bet at a return to normalcy
Chait – seen here on MSNBC Wednesday speaking about the importance of keeping Trump out of the White House – has a history of defending the left and often polarizing diatribes
‘Biden is often described as lacking energy,’ he writes in the piece’s parting line.
‘But it is not the president who is exhausted; it is us.’
The remarks – only the latest from the famously flippant pundit – almost instantly caused discourse online.
People particularly found issue with the piece’s opening paragraph and the statements about Biden’s election reception – including former Rolling Stone contributor Matt Taibbi.
‘Peak @jonathanchait,’ the former Twitter files conveyor wrote in a reshare of fellow journalist’s post, referencing Chait’s history of defending the left and often inflammatory headlines.
The other journalist, New Jersey’s Michael Tracey, wrote of Chait’s VJ Day comparison: ‘I thought this had to be sarcastic, but it’s not.’
That post has since garnered more than 90,000 views, and was bolstered by a series of replies in which Tracey debated whether the day of Biden’s win really constituted the biggest outpouring of public joy in three quarters of century.
People particularly found issue with the piece’s opening paragraph and the statements about Biden’s election reception – including former Rolling Stone contributor Matt Taibbi.
Fellow journalist Michael Tracey wrote of Chait’s VJ Day comparison: ‘I thought this had to be sarcastic, but it’s not.’
In a series of replies, Tracey debated whether the day of Biden’s win really constituted the biggest outpouring of public joy in three quarters of century.
One person remarked of the celebrations so proudly Chait touted: ‘Thank God I live in Texas, where this definitely did not happen’
‘I remember some people in cities like DC dancing and celebrating in the streets when the 2020 election got called for Biden, but could that have possibly been the biggest outpouring of public joy since the end of World War II??’ he asked followers.
‘But that is how some folks acted. It was unreal,’ one person responded.
‘Yeah, but was it the biggest outburst of spontaneous joy since the end of World War II?’
Others, meanwhile, publicly pondered whether the piece was propaganda or parody.
One person remarked of the celebrations Chait so proudly touted: ‘Thank God I live in Texas, where this definitely did not happen.’