Trump’s always been one big living lie (shown by his psychologist niece’s book). That’s gone into overdrive. Maybe his diseased mind actually fantasizes he can escape the final comeuppance, closing in on him, by just lying enough.
Thus his despicable assault on democracy and voting, alleging massive “chaos,” “fraud,” “cheating,” that he really won and it’s being stolen. By “them,” the “corrupt radical socialist Democrat mobs.”
Except that in all key states Republicans control the legislatures and most election machinery. Are they in on the plot??
There is no “chaos.” At all. In fact this election went off remarkably smoothly — thanks in great part to so much early and mail voting (which Trump demonized). The counting is also going very smoothly, being monitored by representatives from both parties, with very few disputes over individual ballots. No sign of hacking, false ballots, or any other chicanery. Nor ballots nefariously burned or scuttled. All just outright lies. The counts will be extremely accurate, and Trump-instigated lawsuits and recounts will change nothing.
Trump says he won if you don’t count “illegal late votes.” What he’s talking about are entirely legal mail ballots, sent by the November 3 deadline. And far from Democrats trying to disenfranchise anyone, it’s Trump doing exactly that. Indeed he’s achieved it; his Postal Service failed to deliver thousands of votes that were mailed on time.
“STOP THE COUNT!” his tweet today shouts. Fine — stop right now (4 PM) and Biden has 270 electoral votes. What Trump actually means is to stop the count where he’s ahead but continue it in states where he’s behind. The disgrace knows no bounds.
As a past Republican donor, I get all their email blasts. Literally more than hourly. Full of lies, name-calling, and deranged hysteria. Always asking for money — even after Election Day — to squeeze a few more bucks from their suckers. With escalating promised matches (now 1000%). But never saying where the matching money supposedly comes from. Just another lie, a scam. What a bunch of grifters.
I don’t feel sorry for Trumpsuckers’ wallets. The real harm is to our nation. Many millions swallow this tsunami of lies about a rigged, stolen election, intensifying their grievance-filled societal disaffection. Facebook today is reportedly exploding with this stuff. A toxic spill poisoning the landscape.
President-elect Biden’s Wednesday speech exemplified why I supported him. Contrasting with Trump’s vile 2 AM speech, Biden judiciously refrained from declaring victory, though his win seemed clear. Instead he called for counting every vote. Again quite a contrast.
Importantly, he also repeated that while he ran as a Democrat, he will govern for all Americans —including those who voted against him — who he does not see as enemies. Another pointedly stark contrast with Trump.
Biden’s whole campaign has been like this. In fact a masterful effort, with laserlike focus on what had to be done, and on the issues that really matter, while avoiding Trumplike divisiveness. At every stage, Biden has been underestimated, belittled, mocked, and denigrated. How wrong that was.
All this highlights why a majority voted for him. Though it’s unnerving that 47+% of Americans actually thought re-electing Trump would be a good idea. How rotten must a president be to get a clear electoral repudiation? But given the mountain of powerful reasons to vote against Trump — and the reality that a majority in fact did — Trumpers still believing the contrary shows how far off the deep end they are.
Curing this national sickness will be a greater challenge for Biden than covid. But at least he understands this, and it’s hard to imagine a new president better equipped for it.
I continue to be a rational optimist. My optimism has just gotten a huge renewal. As has my country.
