Today is Memorial Day, a day for remembering the sacrifices of those who fell in our nation’s conflicts. But I have something else on my mind, namely, the possibility that future Memorial Days may commemorate American Democracy itself, which could tragically fall to the current right-wing onslaught against it. Leading the attack on our democracy are Donald Trump and his supporters both in government and at right-wing media sites like Fox News. I don’t think our democracy is doomed, but I could be wrong.
Evidence of the danger we face – those of us who believe in democracy – can be seen in a number of recent polls. Here are the results from a May 27 poll by PRRI (the Public Religion Research Institute).
What jumps out from this poll is that Republicans are living in a world of their own, one not shared by most Americans. They are furthest from the mainstream on the idea that “true American patriots” may need to resort to violence in order to “save our country.” But in general, the wacky conspiracy theory beliefs about elite, Satan-worshipping pedophiles, etc., find a much more welcome home among Republicans than they do anywhere else.
This crazy irrational mindset could easily be swept away if only more people knew the difference between reliable and unreliable sources. But, alas, they don’t, and too many of them continue to trust Fox News, Newsmax, and other bullshit factories*.
Just as dangerous as the irrational nuttiness of the Republican base are the underhanded tactics practiced by Republican elites. In Texas this weekend, legislation was introduced aimed at discouraging voting by minority voters and making it easier for the state legislature to decide who gets Texas’s electoral votes regardless of who the voters chose. This pro-Republican law was not immediately confirmed as official only because Democratic legislators walked out of the session thereby depriving the legislature of a quorum. But, of course, the law is not utterly dead. It will be re-introduced and the GOP will no doubt find a way around the recalcitrant Democrats and make it the law. In other words, Republicans 1, American Democracy 0.
Our democracy is in danger because of the Republican party and the media sources that support it. But I believe this attack will fail and I’m optimistic for four reasons. First, because Donald Trump and the other prominent people who are behind it are themselves in serious legal trouble. It’s quite possible that Trump, some members of his family, his attorney Rudy Giuliani, his ally Matt Gaetz, and others in his circle will be convicted of serious crimes before the end of 2021. Some of them my well spend time behind bars, and may even be in the slammer during the 2022 election.
Secondly, normal, respectable people in the GOP, like Liz Cheney and Adam Kinzinger continue to loudly call out the dishonesty and stupidity of Trump’s “stop the steal” campaign. This campaign, which is the reason for so many Republicans believing that Trump “really” won the election, loses a bit of traction with every month that goes by. Eventually its followers will make up an even smaller minority of American voters than they do now.
Also, the Democrats won the 2020 presidential election partly because so many Republican suburbanites couldn’t stand Trump’s sleazy and incompetent style of governing. The GOP, with its current dirty dealings, is not giving those voters any reason to return to the party.
And finally, there is Stacey Abrams, whose heroic effort ensured that Democratic voters in Georgia turned out in sufficient numbers to win the senatorial runoffs there, and with them the Senate as a whole. We need an army of Stacey Abrams to counteract the dirty work the Republicans have been doing in Georgia, Florida, Texas, and so many other states where they are resorting to voter suppression. But with Stacey’s inspiration, along with the intense resentment of those voters whom the Republicans are trying to strip of their rights, we may see an unprecedented surge in Democratic voters in 2022 and 2024. I don’t know about you, but as for me, I’m counting on it.
*Bullshit Factory is the label offered by CNN reporter Jim Acosta to refer to Fox News. Good enough to steal, so I’m stealing it.
