OTTAWA -- P.R.E.S.I.D.E.N.T. B.I.D.E.N: Thatâs how you spell relief to most Canadians as adult supervision seems set to return to the White House.
This will end four years of tiptoeing through a diplomatic minefield, where every utterance by our political leaders risked unleashing volcanic fury on U.S. President Donald Trumpâs Twitter feed and retaliation within his administration.
It should transform our cross-border relationship for the better. We hope.
For starters, president-elect Joe Biden can find Ottawa on a map. Not only are the parents of his first wife Canadian but, as Vice President, he saw up close the warm connection President Barack Obama had with our Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.
True, thousands might not crowd Parliament Hill hoping for a glimpse of Biden waving from behind bulletproof glass when he visits, like the collective swoon that greeted Obama, but theyâll be throwing bouquets not bricks at this president.
Bidenâs trade policies will at least bring stability, if not satisfaction, to the relationship. While undeniably America-first, they are comprehensive yet comprehensible protectionism.
Heâll shield American industry, but heâs not going to pull a Trump and weaponize tariffs against Canadian steel on the inexplicable grounds of national security, for example.
But, but, but, âWhat about the Keystone XL pipeline?â Alberta frets. Itâs an obvious concern given that construction in Alberta is proceeding rapidly toward the U.S. border. If the new president indeed revokes the go-ahead permit as promised, Keystone XL will be money for nothing to build a pipeline to nowhere.
But letâs face it. Biden has MUCH bigger concerns in a fractured America and a divided Congress than to stop a neighbourâs modest pipeline. And if he wants to fortify his working-class allegiences, heâs not going to deny unionized U.S. pipeline workers the lucrative jobs that come with Keystoneâs completion.
Besides, U.S. refineries on the Gulf Coast want a lot more heavy crude now that Venezuela has been cut off. They need Keystone to feed their furnaces almost as much as Alberta needs it to keep the oilsands flowing.
So view Bidenâs Keystone-killing vow in the same light as Trudeauâs 2015 pledge to reform elections â a promise that looked great while campaigning in opposition but inconvenient to implement once in power.
You can, however, expect Trudeau to find a welcome ally in the fight against climate change. If Biden can get any traction on his trillion-dollar push to create a green economy, it gives Trudeau crucial support to move in tandem against carbon.
Aggressive action against emissions was a tough sell in Canada while Donald Trump was relaxing environmental regulations, opening up oil drilling in sensitive areas and pulling out of the Paris Accord.
Speaking of Trump, itâs hard to resist wondering whatâs next for him as America comes to grips with this long and winding election result.
The soon-to-be-former president is already the most destabilizing force in American democracy.
Noted, a wise friend of mine, what if Fox News gave Trump his own show? It would be a ratings smash unleashing a daily blitzkrieg of fury from a former president with a massive audience of Americans who inexplicably believe he personifies The Rapture.
Trumpâs non-stop aggravation on TV or Twitter will enhance Americaâs sharp polarization and make Bidenâs already-daunting task as president tilt toward mission impossible.
Of course, that assumes Trump can escape his legal troubles where, if New York state prosecutors indeed indict him, the next Trump Tower could be ringed in high walls, barbed wire and sharp-shooting security guards.
But I digress into fantasy.
With Trump gone, albeit hovering around the political realm seeking a vengeance, Canada again has a friendly ear in the White House and a Senate no longer held hostage to the shambolic whims of an often-unhinged president.
âHarmoniousâ may prove to be too strong a word to describe the renewed relationship in the longer run.
Weâre still the mouse. Theyâre still the elephant. That means weâre easily crushed if the U.S. merely rolls over in its sleep.
But for now, itâs welcome news for Canadians to believe the new American elephant isnât mad -- and wonât rampage over us without a reason.
That's the bottom line.