Anticipation…

Hopefully, but warily, turning a page…

On the eve of Joe Biden’s accession to the presidency, a few miscellaneous observations about the "historical “moment” we’re in. I’m approaching this moment with hopeful anticipation about turning a new page, but very wary of spoilers.

In that spirit, and with enormous tribute to all my former colleagues in Washington who are prepared for, and poised to cover another inauguration of another president, I offer a handful of their photos (made by some of the most dedicated professional photojournalists in the world, CNN’s Jay McMichael, Jon Bodnar, Bryan Cole, Tony Umrani, Mark Biello). If you watch the Inauguration… on any TV network… you will almost surely see the “live” video images of these skilled professionals, because all the networks share many of their camera feeds for events like this, to give everyone the widest possible array of video angles. These “behind-the-scenes” journalists are spending their nights and days outside, in the cold, stringing wires and lights, checking electronic feeds and angles, to offer their best interpretation of the inauguration as history.

As you can see through the eyes of my colleagues, the “anticipation” is not all about sweetness and light.

Jon Bodnar, CNN Washington

Jay McMichael, CNN Washington

Tony Umrani, CNN Washington

Tony Umrani, CNN Washington

Bryan Cole, CNN Washington

Mark Biello, CNN Washington

Turning a page

In so many ways, this inauguration is about “turning a page.” No one can predict how the next four year administration will unfold. Certainly not me. But there’s a palpable sense of turning the page as Joe Biden finally achieves what he’s been prepping for these past four decades. And contrasts with the outgoing occupant of the White House are apparent not only to Biden supporters, but also to those who have supported Trump.

• A new approach to the carnage of the coronavirus pandemic. Recognizing it as a fact which has killed 400,000 Americans and many, many more around the globe. And which has devastated the U.S. economy for tens of millions who are out of work. Recognizing that fixing the economy requires first fixing the ubiquitous threat to public health.

• A new approach to rebuilding the economy, by someone who led a similar - successful - effort ten years ago.

• A new approach to facing profound demographic changes taking place in the United States, the “browning of America,” starting with the most diverse leadership in the Executive Branch in the history of the country. And continuing with an immediate effort to remake immigration policy from the first days of the new administration.

• A new approach to international relations - although, in truth, this is more like a return to recognition that the United States cannot be a world leader if it refuses to respect and engage with like-minded allies abroad - and to confront, rather than fawn over, authoritarian regimes in Europe, Asia, Africa, the Middle East and Latin America.

News media changes

As a journalist, I’ll suggest you watch for changes, too, in the world of the news media. For starters, take a look at this excellent essay by Karen Tumulty of the Washington Post. It focuses on something most people pay little attention to: press briefings at the White House. But I suggest you read it, because those briefings play a hugely important role in helping Americans understand public policy. This essay notes that Jen Psaki (pronounced pss-AH-kee) will be the new White House Spokesperson for Biden. She previously was spokesperson at the State Department during the Obama administration. In my previous life, I participated in those daily State Department press briefings, and I have always felt they served the mutually-beneficial roles Psaki mentions in this essay - helping the public understand policy, but also helping policy makers sharpen their answers by fielding the kinds of questions journalists and the public rightfully ask.

Watch for other immediate media-related changes: You will notice that the principle reporters covering the White House will change. This is normal. Reporters who established excellent person-to-person contact/source relationships with White House officials during one administration won’t have them with the new administration. Reporters who covered the incoming candidate’s campaign have a head-start building the kind of source relationships that will best serve the public during the new administration. A professional colleague also called attention to the fact that, for the first time ever, the principle reporters covering the Biden White House for most of the major TV networks (ABC, CBS, NBC, CNN, PBS) will be women.

Fox “News” flip-flops again

Also watch for abrupt changes on Fox “News.” You will see Fox transform itself, virtually overnight, from “support-the-president” programming to “attack-the-president” mode. Fox has a consistent record of this behavior since it was born during the Clinton administration in the late 1990s. With Clinton in the White House, Fox was consistently on the attack, especially once Clinton’s Monica Lewinsky affair became known. With George W. Bush in the White House, Fox consistently was a cheerleader, from the post-911 terror days through the U.S. invasion of Iraq. During the Obama administration, Fox reverted to its “attack-the-president” mode (examples abound), even stooping at one point to critique the color of suit Mr. Obama chose to wear. Throughout the Trump administration, of course, Fox was back in cheerleader mode… even down to its post-election support for Trump’s wishful fantasies about a rigged vote. Now, watch for Fox to magically flip-flop again into attack mode.

Institutions defending democracy

Throughout 2020, I was quite concerned that many of the institutions of American democracy had failed to hold the line against the Trump administration’s creeping authoritarianism. Congress abandoned its “checks-and-balances” responsibility. The Justice Department became a wholly-owned subsidiary of the White House. The Centers for Disease Control was ignored, manipulated and contradicted by political appointees and “acting” officials. The intelligence community retreated into silence as the White House ignored and berated it. The State Department lost its voice in global affairs.

My fears culminated on January 6, when even institutions as basic as the U.S. Capitol Police, the National Guard, even the Pentagon and elected members of Congress failed to respond to the siege of the Capitol by the Trump-inspired mob. (There have since been confirmed reports and FBI investigations of “inside-job” collusion with the mob among police, military and elected officials.)

Before the Capitol siege, I was heartened to see that some obscure government officials such as elections officers in Georgia, Nevada, Arizona, Michigan, Pennsylvania and elsewhere stood up to the lies from Washington… regardless of whether those officials were Republicans or Democrats. The release by Georgia’s Republican-appointed elections officers of their phone call from President Trump, for example, was an inspiring, courageous medal-worthy act on behalf of sustaining democracy.

And the weekly drip-drip-drip of literally dozens of court rulings in every corner of the country - overwhelmingly dismissing or reversing anti-democratic actions of the Trump administration - were heartening to see, though I lament the time it took for those cases to reach their culmination. Even the Supreme Court, with three justices appointed by Trump, repeatedly repudiated or dismissed his claims.

The Washington Post recently offered an essay about the institution which, arguably, held up best to some of the Trump administration’s assaults on democracy: The courts. I commend it to your attention as we look forward, now, to a new page, and a new chapter.

But… it’s not over (as the old sports analogy goes) “until the fat lady sings.” While previous presidents have flown quietly - and sometimes poignantly - into the sunset when their terms expired, I feel certain President Trump will find a way to seize some headlines on Joe Biden’s inauguration day. I’m just hoping that starting January 21, the news media will have the courage to stop seeking ratings by giving Trump more megaphone, when he’s no longer POTUS.