Weekend open thread: Joe Biden is the next president!

The Trump era is over! We have defeated the authoritarian, racist and liar who did so much damage.

Welcome to The Signorile Report, where you’ll read hard-hitting political commentary and exposés; find interviews with newsmakers; hear me “engage” with right-wingers who call my radio program; and connect with like-minded, passionate people everywhere committed to fighting against hate and corruption. Subscribe now to get all of this in your email box a few times a week.

An open thread for you to join in and celebrate this powerful moment and tell us all what you’re feeling!

It almost seems unreal, as we’ve worked for this for so long and many weren’t sure it would happen. But it’s here!

Joe Biden will be the next president. And Donald Trump is defeated.

I can’t even express the emotion I’m feeling, even as we knew for days which way the votes were going and I started getting frustrated that they weren’t just calling Pennsylvania.

I was walking on my way back from a dental appointment this morning, listening to the news on my phone. And then CNN called it. Within seconds the streets of Manhattan all around me exploded with cheers and applause. Cars began honking, drivers and passengers were howling with happiness and people were shouting joyful words from apartment building windows above. They were banging pots and pans and just about anything else they could grab — and just making lots of great noise! It was electric, and my eyes welled up.

NBC News @NBCNews

A cab driver raises his fist in Union Square, NYC, as Joe Biden is projected to win the US presidency. 📷 Andrew Kelly / Reuters

It’s huge that we have taken down Trump and, honestly, we’ve saved the world. That is not an overstatement. Four more years of Trump would have been devastating and there would be no turning back — for the U.S. and for the world.

So, no matter what people thought about other aspects of the election and the great challenges facing Biden — and we will talk about all of them in coming days and weeks for sure— we have to take this weekend and simply celebrate that we just did an enormous thing. Taking down an incumbent is rare, and President-elect Biden did it by winning more votes than any presidential candidate in history.

Vice president-elect Kamala Harris is the first woman elected to be vice president and the first Black American and South Asian American elected vice president. That is phenomenal and is amazing for so many young people to see.

We’ve made history on so many fronts. Thanks to all of you for staying in the fight!

So, here’s an open thread to share your thoughts, your feelings and just connect with everyone else. I’m elated and excited. I’ll be checking back in here and jumping into discussions too.