Democrats were hoping for a blue wave to consolidate their grip on the House of Representatives and take control of the Senate.
But the evening of November 3 quickly showered their expectations: with perfect equality between Democratic and Republican senators and two special elections to come in Georgia, the Senate is unlikely to tip over, while the Grand Old Party (GOP) has succeeded. to recover certain seats in the House of Representatives, weakening the Democratic majority there.
The charges were quick to be launched.
For many Democratic officials, the culprits are all found: elected officials supporting the most marked ideas on the left, like New York representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, have caused the party to lose many votes.
>> Election of Joe Biden: Watch our special edition live from Washington
In a conference call held two days after the election, elected Democrats emptied their bags: Florida Representative Debbie Mucarsel-Powell and Texas Representative Marc Veasy, among others, complained, according to CNN , attacks by Republican candidates passing them off as "socialist" candidates.
The first was beaten by its Republican opponent, the second managed to save its seat.
But the most scathing attack came from former Republican primary contender and former Ohio Governor John Kasich.
A fierce opponent of Donald Trump, the latter has chosen to support John Biden in the presidential election and is now expected to be appointed to the cabinet of the future president.
here's what dnc speaker & potential biden cabinet member john kasich had to say about progressives today pic.twitter.com/UyzhIjsEY5
- jordan (@JordanUhl) November 7, 2020
"Democrats must make it clear to the far left that they almost cost him his election," he said on Saturday, November 7, on CNN, pointing to proposals such as health insurance for all .
AOC steps up against the moderate wing of the Democratic Party
The members of the left wing of the Democratic Party answer, on the contrary, that it is they who made it possible to mobilize the electoral base of the party to elect Joe Biden and save the furniture in Congress.
"All Democrats elected in a constituency that can swing to the right who supported the Medicare For All bill have been reelected or are about to be reelected. Absolutely all," the wing's leader replied on Twitter. Left Democrat in the House of Representatives, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, who supported Bernie Sanders in the primaries.
Every single swing-seat House Democrat who endorsed #MedicareForAll won re-election or is on track to win re-election.
Every.👏🏽 Single.👏🏽 One.👏🏽
- Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) November 7, 2020
"AOC", as the media call it, warns President-elect Joe Biden.
"The transition period will indicate whether the administration (of Joe Biden) takes a more open approach (to the ideas of the left wing) or if it closes. (...) The appointments made during the transition send a message. They say who, according to the administration, is responsible for the victory, "she said in an interview published in the New York Times.
Regretting a lack of support within her party, where she says she was considered an "enemy", Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez points out that it was the young immigrant activists who made it possible to win in Arizona and Nevada, that this it was the blacks of Detroit and Atlanta who made it possible to win in Michigan and possibly Georgia and it was the activists on the ground in Philadelphia who made it possible to win in Pennsylvania.
>> To read: Joe Biden could face a "green divide" in his own camp
The last two years had already shown a difficult cohabitation in the House of Representatives.
Rather than working together, the supporters within the Democratic Party of a moderate line supported by the president of the lower house, Nancy Pelosi, and the left wing led by Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez most often looked at each other like a dog of earthenware.
With a tight majority, will Democrats learn to work hand in hand?
Joe Biden on "systemic racism" in the United States
For now, the former vice-president of Barack Obama has not yet commented on the line he intended to adopt once installed in the White House.
He did, however, send a rallying message during his speech following the announcement of his victory, sending signals to his left wing when he spoke of "systemic racism" in the justice system and in American society.
He had also made the effort to include in his program a number of proposals emanating from Bernie Sanders, in particular for his climate plan which provides for the carbon neutrality of the United States by 2050 or the promise to increase to 15 dollars. minimum wage per hour - as it has just been voted in Florida.
>> To see: Joe Biden wants to revive the economy through infrastructure and a "green deal"
The former candidate for the Democratic primary, defeated by Hillary Clinton in 2016 and Joe Biden in 2020, did not fail to point out that this question of the minimum wage could be the key to a double Democratic victory in Georgia during the two senatorials that will be played in January in this state.
47% of workers in Georgia make less than $ 15 an hour and 71% of voters in Georgia support increasing the federal minimum wage.
If Democrats take back the Senate, we will increase the minimum wage from a starvation wage of $ 7.25 an hour to a living wage of at least $ 15 an hour.
- Bernie Sanders (@BernieSanders) November 9, 2020
"47% of workers in Georgia earn less than $ 15 an hour and 71% of voters in Georgia support increasing the federal minimum wage. If Democrats take over the Senate, we will raise the minimum wage, lowering it from a pittance of $ 7.25 an hour to a living wage of at least $ 15 an hour, "he tweeted Monday evening.
The summary of the week
France 24 invites you to come back to the news that marked the week
I subscribe
Take international news everywhere with you!
Download the France 24 application
google-play-badge_FR