“People in the United States no longer believe in meritocracy.” two American writers saw the presidential elections.

Richard Ford. “Kamala Harris Tries to Address the Middle and Working Class”.

“For the first time in our history, outgoing President Joe Biden is leaving the race in favor of a new candidate, or rather a new candidate, Kamala Harris. The context is special. Joe Biden was a very good president. I voted for him, I think he was competent and has a good record. He was not without faults or weaknesses, but I will not hold them against him; flaws and weaknesses are part of our humanity. Except she was too old and the Democratic Party should never have allowed her to run again… If they had been more organized in their process, the Democrats would have picked someone else in the first place, and it’s a safe bet that it’s Kamala Harris anyway wouldn’t happen. It was sad that Joe Biden withdrew. his allies and advisers claimed Trump wanted to defeat him, funding was running out (while Kamala Harris raked in more than half a billion dollars in one month, Editor’s Note). All kinds of reasons probably played a part, but he could have given up, and he didn’t. »

“Kamala electrified the Democratic Party”

“Obviously, Kamala Harris has a much better chance of winning the election than Joe Biden. interestingly, the fact that she is a woman and a woman of color is not an issue, whereas it would be very different just; a few years ago. In this regard, the USA is ready as much as it can. Personally, I will vote for her, not because she is a woman and/or a woman of color, which is no guarantee of eligibility, but because she has truly electrified the Democratic Party. He wouldn’t be my first choice though. When he ran for president before, he didn’t seem like a very good speaker. However, this seemed to me to be an essential characteristic when it comes to leading a country and therefore convincing not only voters but also other heads of state. The situation has changed, he himself has changed, perhaps because the opportunity to become president is indeed presented to him, and as is often the case, it is the very opportunity that leads him to surpass himself and find resources within himself that we never imagined. rise to the occasion. It must also be said that he is leading the party to unite behind him, not only because he was nominated and now represents the party, but also because he is the opponent of this despicable man on so many points that Donald Trump is guilty. with thirty-four affairs, a profligate liar, abused by many wives, etc.

“How does Trump impress so many people?

“The fact that we have to beat him at all costs is obviously an advantage. in this matter it is also about victory against him. Many people wonder how and/or why we vote for Donald Trump. With nihilism, greed, stupidity… Donald Trump, in any case, managed to make his supporters rally behind him. And it still remains mysterious. Why does it attract so many people when it repels so many others? Maybe because this is America and Americans don’t care about politics. They are interested in the show, the scene. All this is actually more a phenomenon of mass culture than politics. Facts no longer matter. What matters is enthusiasm, a certain dependence on the irrational, “To hell with reality, I say and do what I want.” Trump comes from reality TV. we should not forget that. And keep in mind that most Americans don’t care about government. the less, the less he interferes, and the better off they are. Many people think that we should run the country the way we run a business, and because the topic doesn’t interest them, they don’t really pay attention to it.

Skills don’t matter anymore

“Kamala Harris is careful not to repeat the mistakes of Hillary Clinton, who had a great deal of contempt for Donald Trump’s voters and tended to act as if she was necessarily the smartest person wherever she went (which doesn’t hurt that she got nearly three million . more votes than Trump and that it is to the quirks of our electoral system that he owes his defeat). Harris tries to address the middle and working classes as well, focusing on their daily problems, food prices, housing, education, etc. But I don’t think that really played a role in his victory, assuming he did. People who love and vote for Donald Trump will continue to love and vote for him no matter what. This may sound cynical, but in this age of mass media it is no longer the skill or validity of the arguments advanced, much less the programs, but the character, the charisma, the way a person asserts more than what we affirm.” .

A source of anxiety

“Furthermore, I don’t see how the middle and working classes can project themselves onto Kamala Harris, even though she is a child of immigrants and a true embodiment of virtue, simply because people no longer believe in her, just as they no longer believe in the American dream. You will tell me that we no longer see how middle and working class people can identify with Donald Trump and that that doesn’t stop them from voting for him. Here, without a doubt, it would be necessary to turn to a sociologist, not a novelist, whose job is not to analyze, but to imagine. Personally, I imagine that Americans see Trump as a strong, powerful person who was able to turn the system around and defeat him, and they like that. Between challenging the results of previous elections, calling for violence, the Supreme Court decision to grant him partial immunity for his actions in 2020, is he a threat to democracy? On the one hand, this immunity remains partial, and if Trump can become a huge source of anxiety by becoming president again, I do not think that American democracy will collapse. He has said as much that he will do things he has not done (including building the famous wall). I dare to hope that in the end our institutions will remain stronger than him.”

Richard Ford, who publishes Le Paradis des Fous (Éditions de L’Olivier, translation by José Camus, 384 pages, €24), will be in a big interview at the Festival of America in Vincennes (Val-de) on September 29. – Marne). festival-america.com

Joyce Maynard. “I can’t imagine that this country will bring such an evil person to power”

“It may seem crazy from the outside that Donald Trump is running for another term and could be re-elected. This is due to the fact that we are not in France, but in America. most people don’t read, they get information by looking at Instagram posts, scrolling through tweets, listening to two or three excerpts, as short as possible, and that’s enough. so they get an idea of ​​what’s going on, an idea they’re not at all eager to explore further. They don’t pay much attention to what the candidates stand for, or even what they say. the fact that Donald Trump continued to lie during the famous debate with Joe Biden, in which the latter appeared weakened, and which undoubtedly played an important factor in his decision. out of the race in favor of Kamala Harris, the fact that she continues to rant about anything while ignoring the truth is of no consequence. The truth doesn’t matter. many voters just want someone to lead the country, and they rely on the impression the candidates make on them.”

“We forget that Trump is a criminal.”

“We live in a world of images, and that’s something Donald Trump knows how to handle. We’re talking about her reality TV show, The studentwhen obviously we are not talking about reality, but mere staging. Trump is playing a character, and his character is a crowd pleaser, to the point where they forget he is a felon who has been indicted and convicted on thirty-four counts and is therefore running for the highest office. One of the big shocks in recent months comes when the Supreme Court, now composed of several of his own appointees, ruled that the sitting president enjoys immunity from all prosecutions. Therefore, Donald Trump will not be held responsible for the actions of his supporters during the attack on the Capitol in January 2021. In short, he is treated like a king and behaves like one. The very concept on which our nation is based, that no one is above the law, has simply been disrespected.”

“Biden benefited from a smart team

“However, I remain an incurable optimist. I can’t accept, I can’t imagine that this country would put a man in power, an evil, unscrupulous, promiscuous liar who has abused so many women, like Donald Trump. Joe Biden has been an honest and competent president, even if I don’t agree with every decision he makes, and despite his age and infirmity, I wouldn’t worry about the United States if he were re-elected, because it’s all about the environment. While Trump surrounded himself with thugs and criminals, Biden had a smart and experienced team, and that was the main thing. The problem was the character he presented. remember the woman cheering him on as he left the stage during the debate with Trump. However, image is everything to us. Everyone was outraged by the way Biden spoke, stood, walked, expressed himself, and no one cared about the fact that Donald Trump said absolute nonsense in their exchange.

Kamala’s arrival changes the cards

“All Americans want is a strong and confident-looking, winning man, and Trump was better suited to embody that than Joe Biden. Fortunately, he backed out and the cards were reshuffled with the arrival of Kamala Harris, which no one imagined, more so because she was completely unknown. Still, I was hopeful at the time. So now victory seems completely out of reach.”

Joyce Maynard’s latest novel, L’Hôtel des Oiseaux, just came out in paperback on 10/18.