Sunday, October 18, 2020

Repairing the Damage

Robin Sears is positive -- almost positive -- that Donald Trump will lose the election. Then, he writes, there will be a flurry of activity:

The impact this vile man had on partisanship, turning senators into quislings and too many voters toward violence, has been sad to watch. But his outrageousness gave many Democrats the courage to try on creative and even radical new ideas. Trump’s attacks opened a new policy dialogue and helped elect an impressive next generation of politicians. Democrats flirtation with Wall Street and neo-liberalism, and most revoltingly their cowardice in the face of the gun makers, will not soon return.

The GOP will face an ideological fork in the road, as well. Will they end their 50 year flirtation with racism, pushed from a dog whistle in Nixon’s day to loud racist rhetoric from Trump and his creepy children? Will they follow the path of the Lincoln Project, that impressive group of political consultants, former candidates and donors who launched a hilarious and undermining ad campaign against Trump. As one of its leaders recently said with a chuckle, he never would have thought it was shady political operatives who would light the path back to ethical conservatism.

The first order of business should be protecting the electoral system:

America’s electoral system has always been the weakest, most fragmented, and too often used to suppress voters access, than in any other G7 nation. It continues to be shockingly vulnerable to foreign intervention, local skulduggery, and even technical incompetence. Now there will be a rising demand to clean it up and strengthen it.

Trump, even in defeat, will not go away. But he has always been about the show:

It has always been about attention and money, more than power. Trump’s fascination with and expertise in manipulative TV programming may have another attraction: to help him defend himself against an array of criminal charges and angry creditors.

That said, he's done an horrendous amount of damage. And the damage has to be repaired. But for all this to happen, Trump must lose -- decisively.

Image: republicworld.com


6 comments:

Lulymay said...

The USA needs to stop bragging to the world that they are just the finest, bestest democracy in the world. They remind me of that Paul Simon song: "50 ways to lose your lover" because right now, they have 50 ways to either franchise or disenfranchise their population when it comes to choosing who will reign as POTUS! And when you add the Electoral College on top of what is already a quagmire, you end up with a Nixon and even worse, a Trump.

Owen Gray said...

Precisely, Lulymay. The American electoral system was conceived in the 18th Century. Now, in the 21st Century, the country has changed, but the electoral system hasn't.

Toby said...

Sears may be understating this. Americans are not going to accomplish anything until they put the corporate dogs back in their cages. The nonsense that a corporation have the rights of a man has to be removed. The Roosevelts understood this and did address the problem but not enough. There can be no democracy as long as money is required to participate.

Gordie said...

If I recall correctly, the US used to send people to other countries to oversee their elections to make sure that they were fair. Now, other countries should be sending people to the US to make sure that the US elections are fair.


Gdn

Owen Gray said...

Big money is at the root of the problem, Toby. Until elections are publically financed, the wealthy will be able to buy the government they want.

Owen Gray said...

The United States used to refer to itself as a City on the Hill, Gordie -- supposedly lighting the way for everyone else. For quite a while now, it has been the Heart of Darkness.