US election: Divided nation

The Documentary Podcast

BBC

Society & Culture, Documentary, Personal Journals

4.3 • 2.6K Ratings

🗓️ 7 November 2020

⏱️ 24 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

The US election has amplified political and racial divisions across the nation, so how do voters feel about the splits in their society?

Host Nuala McGovern is in Reno, Nevada, speaking to people across the political spectrum to hear how they feel about the vote and the state of their nation. In this election assumptions have been overturned and expectations upended. Double the number of Black voters are believed to have supported President Trump at the polls compared to 2016, and several prominent Republicans publicly declared they were voting for Joe Biden, instead of the leader of their own party.

Among our conversations, we hear from three Black Trump supporters about why they voted for him, and two women from opposing sides of the political fence on the controversy surrounding the voting and counting.

Transcript

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0:00.0	Hello, I'm Nula McGovrin on the BBC World Service, and this is BBC OS, US election conversations, a nation divided. did.
0:15.0	This presidential election is proving to be historic for many reasons.
0:20.0	From the huge increase in mail-in ballots to the record numbers of Americans who voted.
0:26.0	It seems like this generation has been more engaged in politics than any generation I've ever seen and I mean weirdly I'd say that's
0:35.7	because of Trump I think the backlash to him has been absolutely galvanizing. The selection of the next president of the United States
0:47.6	allows the nation to both reflect on the past four years and also consider what lies ahead.
0:54.4	There have been surprises for both Republicans and Democrats in this campaign.
0:58.9	I've spent the week in Reno, Nevada and many I've spoken to here and elsewhere in the U.S. feel that the population,
1:06.7	like the election itself, has also been split into two opposing sides, and they are exhausted but there are signs that the
1:15.3	immediate future shows no sign of respite with unsubstantiated accusations
1:21.0	of voting fraud potential potential court cases, and recounts.
1:25.0	There was no blue wave as the pollsters predicted.
1:29.0	I think this country is still extremely divided. I don't see a backlash against Trump.
1:37.0	Unfortunately now the courts may have to get involved like they did when George Bush and Al Gore were up against each other.
1:45.0	So it's going to be interesting.
1:48.0	I'm discouraged because I worry for Joe's mental acuity, which means that Kamala Harris will be our de facto, if not
1:58.4	actual President of the United States before the term runs out. And I'm terrified because I think she's very
2:05.6	socialistic. I would say we're just excited about getting back to normal. You know,
2:10.7	we've had such a year and now we want to just go back to the way it was maybe
2:15.4	back in 2015. I'm really hopeful and I think for Republicans I think when
2:20.2	Biden says you know he's president for all people that they really think about that.
2:26.0	And you know, I know he'll probably have a very diverse cabinet that reflects our country.
	...

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