By Jonathan Allen - NBC News
WASHINGTON DC - The good news for President-elect Joe Biden is that he defeated Donald Trump.
The bad news is that he has to lead an angry and polarized nation, a broken Congress and the economic crisis brought on by the pandemic.
He promised to unify the country, a task that will force him to manage the expectations of the left wing of his own party and the anger of defeated Republicans.
And to enact his legislative agenda, he will have to satisfy a Senate that may be led by Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Kentucky, depending on the outcome of the remaining races, as well as a House of Representatives led by Nancy Pelosi, Democrat for California.
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The political bases of both sides are suspicious of everything that unites them.
That's why many political experts say that Biden will only be successful if his presidency coincides with a campaign in which he rejected the most extreme proposals of his fellow Democrats and embraced the coalition of Republicans willing to embrace change.
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"It's going to be a tough environment," according to Doug Heye, a political expert who backed Biden, "may be the best person to do anything."
Few trust Biden to deliver on his promise to bridge the nation's various political divisions.
But his patience and compassion, combined with his history of dealing with McConnell, have created a sense of tentative optimism among those who supported him.
"There is a possibility that Biden will become a president who passes durable legislation, and when I say durable, I mean legislation passed in a bipartisan way," explained Florida Rep. Stephanie Murphy, leader of the moderate Democratic Coalition of Blue. Dog in the House who has been critical of the policies and tactics of the left.
"My fear is that, in the pursuit of purity, we will abandon progress," he added.
There is good reason for both your hope and your fear.
For years, the then-vice president was the Obama Administration's point man in reaching necessary but politically uncomfortable deals with McConnell.
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In 2011 and again on New Years Eve in 2012, Biden and McConnell crafted budget deals that kept the government running and averted national fiscal disaster.
They were so unpopular with progressives, the latest pact indefinitely extended President George W. Bush's tax cuts, that Senate Democratic Leader Harry Reid, D-Nevada, got the White House to agree that Biden was already the emissary of Administration in budget talks.
Progressive groups are already making demands on Biden's agenda.
Some forward-thinking initiatives, like overhauling the Supreme Court and expanding government-run health care, are proposals that Biden would likely have opposed.
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If McConnell maintains control of the Senate, that can give Biden an easy scapegoat, allowing him to blame Republicans whenever his liberal flank demands action.
At the same time, the more centrist House Democrats are unloading on fellow liberals after a tough election in which the ranks of the moderates were reduced.
Rep. Abigail Spanberger, a Virginia Democrat, who is leading by about 5,000 votes in her disputed re-election bid, told her fellow Democrats on a conference call this week that progressives' adoption of the slogan "defund the police" nearly killed him. it costs the money and your charge.
He called his party's strategy "a failure" after predictions by Democratic congressional leaders to expand their majority in the House and turn around the Senate fell short on Election Day.
The rift within the Democratic caucus of the House of Representatives speaks to the complexity of the issues Biden faces.
When Biden was elected vice president in 2008, the Democrats had control of both the House of Representatives and the Senate and were coming off an election in which they not only took over the White House but increased their majority in Congress.
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That allowed Barack Obama to enact an economic stimulus bill, a review of financial services industry regulations, and the Affordable Care Act, known as Obamacare.
But Biden may not have one-party control of Washington, and with votes still not counted at 100%, it's unclear how successful his term will be.
He was also chosen by a coalition that will have its own priorities.
Black legislators, political operatives, and activists helped drive a surge in black voters.
White centrists from both parties helped create a small but significant shift toward Biden in key states.
And white progressives supported Biden despite having preferred other candidates for his party's nomination.
Therefore, all constituents in Biden's coalition have reason to believe that he was decisive in his victory and will surely push him to address their needs first and foremost.
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It is unclear whether the current regime, a divided Congress and Trump, will pass an additional coronavirus economic relief bill before the presidency changes hands in January 2021, including the $ 1,200 check for families.
If that doesn't happen, Biden will likely act quickly to come to an agreement in line with his promise to make fighting the pandemic his number one priority.
Additionally, Trump's failure to sign legislation financing the rebuilding of roads and bridges, a priority for both unions and the Chamber of Commerce, leaves room for Biden to back an infrastructure deal to help stimulate the economy.
"I think McConnell and Biden will be able to come to an agreement on a great infrastructure program," said Robert Wolf, an investor and a major Democratic donor, "they will also agree to some iterations for healthcare with Covid. The other things in the la Biden's agenda will be more difficult to negotiate, like tax reform. "
Heye said the tax increases will be dead upon their arrival in the Senate if Republicans retain control.
It would also change the calculation on the composition of Biden's cabinet, because his nominees would have to be approved with McConnell.
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Murphy, a House Democrat, said it's up to Biden to come up with proposals so dominant that McConnell has to choose between cooperating and risking a political backlash for his party if he doesn't.
"McConnell has shown that he is the most cowardly political person in Washington, that his moral compass points to power," he said, "he only does things that benefit him and his party. And that will make him a difficult negotiating partner. definitely".