Will Trump be able to dry up the swamp in Washington?

There have been a myriad of comments on how the wave of protests that started with the killing of African-American George Floyd, who was under police custody, will affect the U.S. elections in November 2020.

The COVID-19 crisis brought various problems lying dormant, primarily the inequality in income and wealth distribution in America, to the fore. The fact that the U.S. system has decayed to the bone and is unable to resolve these problems is palpable.

Trump, who wasn’t from any party base, surprisingly elected as president in 2016 was a result of the degeneration of two-party mainstream politics. According to Trump, Washington was a swamp and the source of all America’s problems. He gained the support of White Americans by pledging he would dry out the swamp and “Make America Great Again,” thus opposing two-party mainstream politics.

He was elected president on the promise that he would end the “stupid wars” costing the U.S. trillions of dollars and vowed to reel in the business that was being scooped up by foreign countries. We now see how sincere Trump was with his pledges and how many of them had materialized; he is a president more known for what he “ravaged” than “repaired.”

Trump first clashed with the mainstream leaders of the Republican Party and then he made up with them. With Trump, the Republican Party has shifted to the Right, becoming a more "White" party. Christian-Zionist evangelicals have exponentially influenced Trump's policies. The strongest support for him came from the "Neocon" politicians he always criticized. According to the comments, if Trump is re-elected in November, his need for their support will diminish, he will have more free rein and get the power he needs to dry up the swamp he calls Washington.

If the Republicans have become “whiter,” the Democrats have turned “kaleidoscopic.” This necessitates a strong discourse and reconciliation between the Democrats' White mainstream wings and their “colorful” wings. Joe Biden, who didn’t seem too promising at the beginning, gradually gained popularity. The mainstream Democrats want “controlled change.” Although Bernie Sanders won ideological debates as well as the support of the new generations, the delegates decided that their only chance against Trump was "Joe Biden." He is an important figure representing the mainstream of the Democratic party, and eyes are on the ideological transformation the party will undergo.

The Democrats for their part have to retain the votes of White Americans and simultaneously convince a large mass who don’t vote to do so. Biden, who is dancing on thin ice, is attempting to be the bridge between the party’s mainstream and radical wing. With the energy of the new generation of diverse politicians, Democrats won the majority in the House of Representatives in 2018.

Analysts who advise Democrats on election strategies, suggest that Biden elect a woman as Vice President. There are those who adamantly suggest he select a “black” woman at that. Consequently, Black women are the strongest supporters of the Democrat Party. Nine out of every ten black women vote for the Democrats. A large percentage of the electorates who don’t vote are black. Considering that the election results hinge on a very small margin, voter turnout is very important. One of the black women proposed to Biden for Vice President is Stacey Abrams, a former deputy who has been urging young blacks to go to the polls for many years.

A dramatic change in the party's line and promises is needed if one million voters who didn’t go to the ballot boxes in 2016 are to be convinced, and Biden is sending messages in this direction.

In a statement Biden made on Floyd's death, he said: “Today, I’m once again asking every American who feels knocked down, counted out, and left behind, to join our campaign. Because we aren’t just building the movement that will defeat Donald Trump, we are building the movement that will transform our nation.”

The critical need for Black votes is forcing Biden and the Democratic Party to "change". “Floyd protests” and the economic problems that have emerged with the epidemic play a crucial role. Mainstream centrist politics in the U.S. are losing influence, and this is perhaps the most important aspect of the November elections.