For those who longed for a respite from the 24/7 political and culture wars of the past four years, the apparent results of the 2020 election seemed to offer some hope. But will the prospect of someone not named Donald Trump in the White House and divided government ensure that the insanity of the last four years will end? Don’t count on it.

The outcome of the struggle between Trump and former Vice President Joe Biden in some key battleground states had yet to be finally resolved 48 hours after the polls closed. But the most likely outcome seemed to point to a victory for Biden even as Trump’s campaign resolved to fight to the bitter end, including in the courts, to change the verdict.