AMERICA THE BIZARRE

In the days since the election, we have seen the outgoing President bluster about election fraud, recounts, judicial challenges and remaining in office. He has refused to concede to the President-elect. He has refused to begin the process for a smooth transition of power. He has gone on twitter rampages. And his followers and sycophants have done his bidding, lauching lawsuits that have failed, blustering on TV and social media about the impending armageddon when the new administration is sworn in, and trying to physically halt vote counting and intimidate any state politicians who claim their supervision of the election was done properly. None of this is particularly surprising, given the track record of the Trump administration or their supporters. In fact, it was expected. What is surprising, though is the completely silent reaction to all of this on the part of the rest of the country. Trump's constant bombast against the legitimacy of the election results is having at least a small effect on many Americans. It is now being reported that the number of people who are beginning to question the election results is going up. It seems to prove the old axiom that if you tell a lie and then repeat it often enough, it begins to take on the aura of truth, even though it is a falsehood. Why are Americans allowing this to happen ? Why have they not taken to the streets around the White House protesting loudly and vigorously and demanding that the orange madman at least concede ? If there is such a large corps of Americans who truly hate Trump and who voted against him, why are they silently sitting this out ? It would seem that, by doing so, they are increasingly implying consent to the President's tactics. The United States is a strange and unpredictable country. The rest of the world held its breath on election night, and then for the next few days as the vote totals were counted and the Electoral College tallies ticked agonizingly but surely in Biden's favour. America got it right, the world must've thought as Biden finally eked out a win. But he hasn't really won yet. His transition is being held up. He is not getting essential official briefings on security, the economy and, most importantly, on covid-19. The lawsuits, while failing, are still nipping at his heels. He's being hamstrung before his administration has gotten started. It's stillborn. And that has dire consequences. Americans are undoubtedly fatigued by all of this. Trump's administration has been draining. The election was divisive. The pandemic is cutting a wide swath through the population and, once again, overwhelming their chaotic health-care "system." The racial divide, which was a huge factor in the voting, is still a raw wound that will not heal. Or, perhaps, there is something more sinister at work here. Americans have always been fascinated by the raw underbelly of society. They revel in the bizarre, the ugly, the perverse, the violent. They are mesmerized by gangsters, thugs, and fighters. Even when they know it's wrong to root for these creatures, they do it anyway. They love the anti-hero, the gunslinger, the punk. And, in this case, even if they didn't vote for him, they find Trump and his band of troublemakers compelling and entertaining. They don't want the freak-show to stop. They don't want the carnival to end. There's a part of their psychological make-up that is getting an immense jolly out of this. And it will destroy their democracy more surely than if Trump had actually won the election. It's no longer "America the Beautiful" .... it's "America the Bizarre." And it will unfold in all its sordid glory as certainly as the sun will come up tomorrow.

THE FAT LADY STILL SINGS

As of this writing, (Nov.4, 2020, 1:52 pm) the US presidential election is undetermined. Votes are still being counted in several key states. Biden clings to a slim lead in the Electoral College, while Trump blusters about having already won and warns about fraud due to the high number of mail-in votes, which seem to tilt towards Biden. Important races in the US Senate, House and many state Governorships also hang in the balance. The world holds its breath.

Lessons can be learned from this.

First, we should never put any real faith in pre-election polling. As in 2016, it seemed as though the Democratic candidates would achieve a solid victory. This year, Democrats were musing out loud about a "blue wave" that has, obviously, not materialized. Despite the advances in analytics, polling doesn't give anything close to an accurate reading in how an election will actually turn out. Polling only finds out what contacted persons MIGHT do on election day, and does not prevent people from lying, playing deliberate games of misinformation, or changing their minds. Do not put any faith in polls.

Second, we must now acknowledge that the "Trump" phenomenon is real. It is no longer just a "one-off." Four years ago, many pundits tried to explain his win as a sign of disaffection and anger in the political system. It's obviously more than that. Those two conditions still exist, but "Trumpism", more of an attitude than a coherent political philosophy, is a genuine entity that thrives now because its supporters have become emboldened by electoral success. Even if Trump ends up losing the Electoral College, he can point to the popular vote and claim that he has widespread support in all states. This is an undeniable fact. And, because of that, the grievances and values of Trump's supporters must be listened to. They are not merely a bunch of "cranks" or racists, although those things are part of the Trump package.

Third, we must continue to put faith in democratic institutions. The vote is being counted slowly because the Elections Commission is dedicated to getting the result right. There is no evidence of widespread fraud as Trump claims. When the final results are counted, we will know who the next President will be, not because Trump claims he has won. Democracy is still alive in the United States, at least for the present.

Fourth, as much as we know that Trump has millions of supporters, we also know that there are millions of Americans who reject the attitudes and values of the Trumpists. Hillary Clinton won the popular vote four years ago, and it seems that Biden will do so again. While that does not get the Presidency for the Democrats, it does show the world that decent people live in the United States, and these people have no time for racism, xenophobia, homophobia, mysogeny, ultra capitalism, and anti-intellectualism. We must applaud and support these Americans as they struggle for their ideals and beliefs.

The results will not be known for a while yet. Keep calm. Keep the faith. America is either in labour, giving birth to a new identity. It is a difficult labour. Or it could be the republic's death throes. Time will tell.