The US election and its aftermath

Staged against the backdrop of the coronavirus pandemic, the 2020 US presidential election campaign has been like no other and it continues to offer plenty of intrigue.

The highly anticipated first debate between Donald Trump and Joe Biden quickly descended into chaos. Then Trump contracted COVID-19 adding a new twist.

Trump has also refused to commit to a peaceful transfer of power if he loses the election. Local governments as well law enforcement departments across the country are already making plans to deal with the possibility of political instability and widespread civil unrest surrounding the election result.

To help us try and make sense of the 2020 presidential election campaign and the potential aftermath of the 3 November election is David Rosenbloom.

David Rosenbloom, PhD is currently Professor of Health Law, Policy and Management at the Boston University School of Public Health. He has been a student and participant in US politics for more than 50 years. He holds a PhD in Political Science from MIT where his work led to publication of The Election Men (Quadrangle Press, 1972), the first major book about the emergence of a professional campaign management industry in the US. He has helped lead voter registration and get out the vote activities in Presidential and other level campaigns since 1968.

This year he is volunteering in the Biden and other campaigns on Zoom and the phone from home.

From 1973 to 1975 he served as a senior political aide to the then Mayor of Boston, Kevin White. He served as Commissioner of Health and Hospitals in Boston from 1975-1983. Since then his career has been a mix of volunteer political campaign and advisory roles, university teaching, founding or leading start up and innovative health care companies, directing nation wide community based efforts to prevent and reduce substance use disorders and associated social problems and tending his gardens. He is married to Alice E Richmond. They have one daughter, Betsy.