As the country waits on the final states to be called in the presidential race, local supporters of former Vice President Joe Biden are remaining “cautiously optimistic” in a victory for their candidate.
“I think once all the votes are counted in what has been a completely legitimate, careful, very democratic process, that (former) Vice President Biden will have won an overwhelming victory in terms of the popular vote,” Mitch Grosky, chair of the Athol Democratic Town Committee, said Thursday, adding that a victory in the Electoral College also appeared to be on the horizon.
“I’m feeling cautiously optimistic that Vice President Biden and Kamala Harris will emerge victorious and will be able, on Jan. 20, to assume the presidency and vice presidency in the United States,” he said.
As of Thursday afternoon, Biden held a narrow lead with 264 Electoral College votes compared to President Donald Trump’s 213 votes, according to the Associated Press, with five states remaining to be called. Some news organizations are reporting Biden with 253 electoral votes — the difference is because the AP has called Arizona, with its 11 electoral votes, for Biden.
“It is remarkable, not that the election is so close, but that it’s so close in so many states,” commented Ferd Wulkan, a coordinating member of Franklin County Continuing the Political Revolution. “There are so many states with a razor-thin margin.”
Wulkan, who said he was never a “big fan” of Biden — though he supported him in the presidential race — said it looks to him like he will “squeak by” Trump.
But not everyone in the county is convinced Biden’s lead will hold.
“I think some of these states they say aren’t going to come out for (President Donald Trump) are going to go for him,” said David Lewis, chair of the Greenfield Republican Town Committee. “I’m kind of happy that they’re filing some lawsuits, because there’s been a lot of questions in a lot of states.”
Lewis expressed concern in particular for Pennsylvania, where Trump has already filed a lawsuit that deals with whether mail-in ballots received up to three days after the election should be counted, according to the Associated Press.
“I figured Pennsylvania would be a problem,” he said. “I said that weeks ago, and it’s looking that way.”
Republican Lew Metaxas, however, said he doesn’t necessarily support the president’s decision to file lawsuits, as he has in Pennsylvania, Michigan and Georgia — the latter two of which were recently dismissed by the respective Superior Court judges — simply on the basis of mail-in voting.
“I think it’s an effective strategy (for victory) if there are in fact (ballot) irregularities,” clarified Metaxas, vice chair of the Greenfield Town Republican Committee. “I am all for challenging anything that’s irregular.”
Grosky called the lawsuits an “extremely regrettable” move on the president’s part.
“I think that does a disservice, not only to our country but to our democracy,” Grosky said, “because one of the areas that we have a great deal of pride in — and that is one of the hallmarks of our democracy — is the right to free and open elections that are carefully supervised.”
Unlike Lewis, Metaxas said he felt Trump, at this stage in the election, has a “very difficult path to reelection.”
“I think he has to really run the table, which is highly unlikely,” he said.
Still, Metaxas said he is hopeful for the future, regardless of whether his candidate claims victory.
“I’m still hopeful and positive and always will be that both sides of the aisle can work cooperatively in a positive fashion,” he said. “Or I wouldn’t be in this business.”
The reality is, he said, “we are a very divided country.”
“It doesn’t necessarily have to be a bad or negative thing,” he said. “It can be a wonderful opportunity if we allow it.”
And that involves working across the aisle, he said — a sentiment Grosky echoed.
“That’s what we’re all looking forward to,” Grosky said. “We’re looking forward to Democrats, Republicans, Libertarians — every political party’s representation — sitting down together and saying, ‘All right, we don’t agree on everything, but certainly, we can put our heads together and decide what are four or five basic things we can do in this next year that will really help the American people?’”
Mary Byrne can be reached at mbyrne@recorder.com or 413-930-4429. Twitter: @MaryEByrne.