The End of the Beginning

Soonish

Soonish's six-month detour into electoral politics finishes where it started, with a conversation with our favorite futurist, Jamais Cascio. We talked late on November 6—when it was already clear that Joseph R. Biden would win the presidential race, but before the networks had officially called it—and we explored what Biden's unexpectedly narrow win will mean for progress against the pandemic; for the fortunes of the progressive left; and for the future of democracy in the United States.

Turning Donald Trump out of office was an enormous and crucial accomplishment, and Biden voters should take a moment to celebrate. But Cascio argues that if Republicans retain control of the Senate (a matter that now hinges on a pair of ferociously contested runoff elections in Georgia), Biden's win will amount to, at most, an "If you find yourself in a hole, stop digging" moment. It will give Biden and Harris the opportunity to tackle the biggest crises facing the country—the newly resurgent coronavirus pandemic and the economic havoc it's wrought. But it won't leave much room to pursue the structural reforms needed to tame white grievance, end minoritarian rule, and get government working again.

But there's always 2022. In other words, this election wasn't the beginning of the end of the long fight to save democracy and protect the rights of all citizens in this country. But it might be the end of the beginning.

Chapter Guide

00:08 Soonish theme

00:22 We Did It!

01:32 Reality Sinks In

04:29 Re-introducing Jamais Cascio

05:28 Check-in

06:31 Setting the Scene

08:48 The Troubling News

10:19 The Depths of our Polarization

13:01 Perpetuating Dysfunction

17:01 Reviewing Wade’s Post-Election Scenarios

19:49 The Pandemic and Conspiracy Theories

24:57 Violence Against Democracy

27:38 The Weakness of Norms

30:51 Mid-roll Endorsement: Big Brains

31:49 What Next for the Progressive Left?

36:13 Polls Are Left-Wing Astrology

37:57 Cliodynamics

40:30 Back to BANI

45:34 Fighting Back Against Incomprehensibility

48:49 Final Thoughts: The Real Work Is Still Ahead

52:11 End Credits and Acknowledgements

53:00 “Jaws: Amity Island Welcomes You” from Iconography

Find the full show notes and a transcript for this episode at soonishpodcast.org.

The Soonish opening theme is by Graham Gordon Ramsay. All additional music by Titlecard Music and Sound.

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