The most baffling results so far today in the election is the amount of people who still view Donald Trump as competent to be president of the United States. It’s a reminder of how divided along the red/ blue state lines the country has become and how desperately America needs a resurgence of bi- partisanship in its politics. The far- right of the Republican party and the far-left of the Democratic party have created a hate-filled polarization which has blocked much-needed legislation on vital issues for all Americans. Joe Biden repeatedly says “Your opponents are not your enemies.” Trump calls Democrats the enemy of democracy and incites Republicans to fear and hate them. This rhetoric reveals the dark side of Trump’s personality. Historically, Republicans have vehemently opposed their Democratic opponents but rarely have been aggressively hateful towards them or called for them to be jailed.
Trump is continuing to behave in an un- democratic, corrupt manner as the election results come in. He declared victory last night while legal voting is still underway. He has continued his attacks on the legitimacy of mail-in- voting and suggests counting votes past Nov.3rd is an illegal, “horrible” practice. This statement is proof Trump is ignorant about election history as many elections are not finalized for days or weeks after the polls close. When confronted with the possibility of losing, Trump acts as if is owed the presidency. He is an autocrat and a not a fan of how American democracy works.
Eric Trump and Rudy Guiliani held a press conference today accusing Philadelphia of fraud, claiming members of their campaign are not allowed to get close enough to the ballots to read them. The Pennsylvania guidelines for election observation allow for partisan observers to be present to observe the electoral process including the casting of ballots, opening of absentee ballots, the testing of voter equipment, and witnessing ballot tabulation and recounts. The state guidelines specify that observers are there to observe such processes and if suggestions, questions, or concerns arise, they can report the to election officials. The proximity of the observers to the electoral practices is not specified. The observers are specified to observe, not interfere. Guiliani’s definition of observe is to be close enough to compare signatures on ballots to determine their validity. This intrusive activity is not specified as part of the official election observation practice. To Guiliani, observing means interfering and intervening.
With claims of voter fraud and the filing of lawsuits against Pennsylvania, Michigan, and Wisconsin, Trump has incited angry protests by his supporters in Maricopa County, Arizona, and in other states where Trump is at risk to lose. The law and order president is the chief initiator of the kind of hateful violence that can get people killed. The election results are unknown tonight, and anxiety levels are running high for those who realize if Trump is re-elected America will remain divided, sick with COVID, and weakened by his Constitutional infractions. Let’s hope he loses, however, if he wins we must continue to fight his corruptive assault on America.
Of growing concern, is how Trump will govern during the lame- duck period if he loses. Based on his vindictive personality it is anticipated he will attempt to sabotage the Biden Administration’s policies and continue to incite a violent rebellion by his supporters. If this occurs, Trump will be the #1 perpetrator of the kind of civil unrest he warned would occur due to far-left terrorists and The Black Lives Matter Movement.
