A Wave of False Patriotism
By now, anyone paying attention to President Trump’s ongoing dispute with the election results knows the true purpose of his tantrum: to carry the last throes of energy behind his presidency to a Senate win. It’s the only explanation for nearly-unified GOP support for this dangerous and unpatriotic act. Indeed, the stakes couldn’t be higher, as most of Joe Biden’s most ambitious plans hinge on gaining the Senate. As if the United States needed any more drama, off we go into another race that is sure to be fraught with partisan lies, ad hominem, and nasty court battles.
At the core of this two months-long battle ahead of us is once again a race to the bottom. With the winds of President Trump’s unamerican bluster at their back, Senators Perdue and Loeffler will attempt to defend their seats in somewhat favorable seas. But their case for re-election depends on undermining democracy and ensuring a weakened America on the international stage as Mike Pompeo dives into the abyss of hypocrisy.
It’s only with measured optimism that I commend Americans for ousting President Trump. I find it hard to believe that, while in such partisan times, the split-ticket voter still exists to a point of any measurable impact. However, that does seem to be the case. Susan Collins remained in her vital Senate seat despite Maine decisively going to Joe Biden. Democrats also lost several House seats despite Joe Biden winning the state. Take from it what you will, but it does show some degree of discernment in voters.
But that kind of critical thinking is completely overshadowed by the tsunami of citizens who lived through the last four years and decided that signing up for four more would be a good idea. In historical terms, this election isn’t close and doesn’t deserve litigation that can be viewed as potentially result-changing. Besides Joe Biden winning the popular vote by the very large margin of over 5,000,000 votes and counting (nearly double Clinton’s margin in 2016), his leads in critical swing states continue to swell even under growing scrutiny of vote counting. The President’s court cases continue to fail (at present, he’s 0–12) because his legal team has continually failed to provide evidence for their claims. That’s how the system works.
What does it all say of those who contend that America is the land of freedom and democracy? Of those who say that America is exceptional? Of those who say that America leads the free world? Of those who say that America is the land of opportunity and to be heard? It says of them that they were dangerously close to leading us into a new and completely unrecognizable chapter of the American experiment. One in which law and order would take a back seat to the political whims of a demagogue. One in which the legal system became even more powerless than it is now to stop someone with an ego bigger than our democratic norms. While waving their flags, they are simultaneously so easily tricked into backing the most undemocratic of undemocratic accusations in favor of a short-term political win.
What’s apparent now is that so many of our “norms” must become more than that. They must be codified. They must have teeth so that when a more conniving predator comes for the Office of the President (and it won’t be long), we can bite back with severe consequence. To all the false patriots: Take the loss. Shake hands with your opponents like you did in Little League. Do better next time. That’s the American way.
