Democracy Served, the Republic At Risk

Election day in the US has come and gone with democracy served. The electorate made its decision clearly and decisively and chose between a party committed to the principles of the constitution and one that seeks to emasculate it. Sadly, the choice was the latter not the former. So, the democratic process worked, but the republic may be more at risk. Time will tell.

You will recall all the pre-election chatter about voter fraud, ballots being sent in by non-citizens, dead people voting, dishonest poll workers, etc. and how the Republican party was geared up to mount legal challenges of the vote in hundreds of locations throughout the US. But, as luck would have it, they won the election across the board and charges of fraud magically disappeared. So, wasn’t it nice to have a cool calm election where there were no charges of voter fraud? Nothing less than a miracle I would say given how sure the Republicans were that the election was rigged and the Democrat party was going to “steal it again.” If that’s true, the Dems did not do a very good job in their efforts to rig the election, did they?

With the commitment of the present administration to ensure a smoot transition of power, President Biden went to the Rose Garden on Thursday and said he would invite the President-elect to meet him in the White House to speak about the transition. Of course, gentleman that he is, he did not add the second part of the sentence. “Which is more than he did for me when I won the presidency.”

Continuing in that vein, Biden then said he has advised his staff to cooperate in every way with the incoming transition team to ensure a smooth transition. Of course, once again, he did not add the second part of the sentence. “Which is more than he did for me when I won the presidency.”

Lastly, Biden made it clear that his intention is to attend the inauguration of the 47th president on January 20th as has been the tradition for some decades. Here too, he did not add the second part of the sentence. “An honor he did not give me when I was inaugurated.”

Presumably, it must be Biden’s increasing senility that makes him forget the back half of most of his sentences, wouldn’t you think?

Fortunately, America remains a strong democracy with a proven track record of surviving all kinds of presidents. Hopefully, the country will come to realize that just because you disagree with people politically, does not make them bad people, does not make them an enemy (the admonitions contained in Newt Gingrich’s acceptance speech when he assumed the position of Speaker of the House in 1991 notwithstanding) and they are not, prima facie, any more or less dedicated to the future of America than you and I are. For the republic to hold the two halves of America together it will need to find a way to discover that the river that separatee them is one of mutual respect not mutual abhorrence.

Finally, we pray for the good health of the 47th President of the United States. Whatever his negatives, and he has his share, the thought of his Vice-President becoming president should something happen to Trump, is a very scary concept to contemplate.