American voters’ support for democracy in this election was overwhelming. Joe Biden received almost 5.8 million more popular votes than did Donald Trump, the most votes for any presidential candidate ever. Biden’s Electoral College margin, 306 to 232, is the same as Trump’s in 2016. At the time, Trump called that a “landslide.”
One of the strongest traditions in a stable democracy is a smooth, transparent transition of power. However, the United States, the greatest constitutional democracy in the world, is having problems finding its transitional feet.
President Trump has refused to concede and is falling back on claims of widespread voter fraud, for which there is no evidence. His lawyers have lost 20 of the 21 cases they have filed so far, for a lack of evidence. Attorney General William Barr issued an order that the FBI can investigate when there is evidence, but this is a mere fig leaf to escape Trump’s wrath.
Just last Tuesday night, Trump Twitter-fired Christopher Krebs, his administration’s most senior cybersecurity official responsible for securing the presidential election. The New York Times has reported that Krebs systematically disputed Trump’s unfounded declarations that the presidency was stolen from him through fraudulent ballots and software glitches that changed millions of votes.
As president, almost daily Trump demonstrated that he was devoid of graciousness. Both his tweets and public appearances revealed a taste for insult, an unrelenting boastfulness and arrogance, and a general coarseness.
To this we could add his hyperbole, his lies, and his want of generosity. My Depression-era mother taught me that there is always a role for courtesy. She also taught that a person’s reputation is a precious commodity and that lying and cheating quickly dissolve the respect one can hope to receive.
Some Republican governors and legislators are beginning to acknowledge that Biden won the election and that the country should move on, recognizing that a transparent and orderly transition has been the custom in every previous presidential election. Firing the Secretary of Defense, abruptly drawing down our overseas deployments, threatening to bomb Iranian nuclear facilities, and abusing federal employment regulations are dangerous moves and have no place in any lame-duck period between administrations.
Perhaps there is something to the idea that Trump is salting the soil to make governing impossible for Biden, while preparing for his own political and financial comeback. Claims of election fraud seek to delegitimize the elected president and end up reducing respect for the Constitution. If Republican voters and legislators buy that myth, the effects could be far-reaching for both parties.
Senator McConnell’s pledge to make President Obama a one-term president may be on rewind. In fulfilling this pledge, McConnell gave us legislative gridlock. Hundreds of bipartisan House bills have been forwarded to the Senate, where they piled up and died, and will have to be re-legislated starting in January. What better demonstrates the GOP-controlled Senate’s lack of commitment to the general welfare?
Trump’s refusal to allow an orderly transition is exacerbating the consequences of his mishandling of the pandemic, stalling the economic recovery, and endangering our national security. Nevertheless, Biden’s response has been to soldier on in the face of these obstacles and put together his administration. As we watch this unfold, perhaps we will have a greater appreciation for the motto, “Keep Calm and Carry On.”
On this date in 1962, President Kennedy was assassinated. His administration committed itself to the hope and promise of America. Let us rededicate ourselves to that vision. January 20, 2021—Inauguration Day—cannot get here too soon.
[Reuther] Seeking a smooth transition to end 2020