Big Books & Bold Ideas with Kerri Miller

What this election tells us about who we are as Americans

A woman wears a black winter coat while holding a flag.
A woman holds an American flag after President Trump’s campaign rally ends at the Rochester International Airport on Friday, Oct. 30, 2020.
Kathryn Styer Martinez | MPR News

At the end of this exhausting election week, we take stock of what the vote tells us about ourselves.  

In an election where people felt so much was at stake, the record turnout is a measure of our passions. The tight race demonstrates our national division. 

This season was filled with mistrust and fear. In the words of New York Times columnist David Brooks, many Americans have embraced a sense of “permanent indignation.” 

What were people voting for and against? Has belief in the American dream evaporated for many? How will people’s rage manifest? 

Friday, MPR News host Kerri Miller welcomed back anthropologist Jose Santos and took listener calls for a collective reflection on what this election season revealed about our nation’s values and beliefs. 

Guest: 

  • Jose Santos is an anthropologist and associate professor of social science in the College of Arts and Sciences at Metropolitan State University.

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