Americans have no one to blame but themselves. Felon and President-elect Donald Trump did not conceal who he was. He did not hide his racism, misogyny, willful ignorance, cruelty or contempt for democracy. At some point, we must acknowledge that our fellow Americans voted for him because of those qualities, not despite them. How did it come to this?
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We cannot attribute the defeat for democracy to tough economic times. President Joe Biden leaves a booming economy with wages outpacing inflation, manufacturing undergoing a renaissance and low unemployment.
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We cannot attribute the loss to a defective Democratic campaign, intraparty infighting, lack of enthusiasm or a poor candidate. Vice President Kamala Harris did everything asked of her and more. She put in the long hours, produced an uplifting convention, delivered a smashing debate performance and drew in Republicans.
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The media, it must be said, did not fulfill its role in educating the public and advancing truth as their primary objective. Refusal to explore Trump’s manifest defects and place him and his movement in the context of fascist strongmen and their cults had the effect of normalizing and legitimizing a candidate utterly unfit for office. But the facts nevertheless were there for anyone who cared to look. At some point, voters are responsible for their own decisions.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/opin...c_magnet-op2024elections_inline_collection_17
Attorney General Merrick Garland’s failure to swiftly and aggressively prosecute Trump will go down as one of the most devastating legal blunders in history. Had Trump been promptly indicted, appeals could have been resolved and a verdict obtained months if not years ago. Garland was the wrong man for the job at a critical time. Rather than face accountability for his crime against democracy, Trump saw himself rewarded. And still, his role in the attempted coup was no secret. Americans simply refused to consider it disqualifying. They think that little of our democracy.
We return to the sad reality that for too many Americans, a strongman holds appeal. A multiracial democracy is threatening. Conspiracies seem more real than reality. Moreover, we need to acknowledge that a female president is a bridge too far for millions of voters. Trump’s whether-they-like-it-or-not attitude toward women resonates with many voters who resent their advancement and autonomy.
In sum, when a country deliberately rejects decency, truth, democratic values and good governance, the problem is not a candidate, a party, the media or a feckless attorney general. Democracy is not self-sustaining. It requires a virtuous people devoted to democratic ideals. Whether we can recover the habits of mind — what we used to call civic virtue — will be the challenge of the next four years and beyond.
In the meantime, Ukraine’s existence is imperiled and democratic movements and governments around the globe have suffered a blow. The last, great hope of mankind is AWOL.
Sign up for the Prompt 2024 newsletter for answers to the election’s biggest questions
We cannot attribute the defeat for democracy to tough economic times. President Joe Biden leaves a booming economy with wages outpacing inflation, manufacturing undergoing a renaissance and low unemployment.
Follow Jennifer Rubin
We cannot attribute the loss to a defective Democratic campaign, intraparty infighting, lack of enthusiasm or a poor candidate. Vice President Kamala Harris did everything asked of her and more. She put in the long hours, produced an uplifting convention, delivered a smashing debate performance and drew in Republicans.
ADVERTISING
The media, it must be said, did not fulfill its role in educating the public and advancing truth as their primary objective. Refusal to explore Trump’s manifest defects and place him and his movement in the context of fascist strongmen and their cults had the effect of normalizing and legitimizing a candidate utterly unfit for office. But the facts nevertheless were there for anyone who cared to look. At some point, voters are responsible for their own decisions.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/opin...c_magnet-op2024elections_inline_collection_17
Attorney General Merrick Garland’s failure to swiftly and aggressively prosecute Trump will go down as one of the most devastating legal blunders in history. Had Trump been promptly indicted, appeals could have been resolved and a verdict obtained months if not years ago. Garland was the wrong man for the job at a critical time. Rather than face accountability for his crime against democracy, Trump saw himself rewarded. And still, his role in the attempted coup was no secret. Americans simply refused to consider it disqualifying. They think that little of our democracy.
We return to the sad reality that for too many Americans, a strongman holds appeal. A multiracial democracy is threatening. Conspiracies seem more real than reality. Moreover, we need to acknowledge that a female president is a bridge too far for millions of voters. Trump’s whether-they-like-it-or-not attitude toward women resonates with many voters who resent their advancement and autonomy.
In sum, when a country deliberately rejects decency, truth, democratic values and good governance, the problem is not a candidate, a party, the media or a feckless attorney general. Democracy is not self-sustaining. It requires a virtuous people devoted to democratic ideals. Whether we can recover the habits of mind — what we used to call civic virtue — will be the challenge of the next four years and beyond.
In the meantime, Ukraine’s existence is imperiled and democratic movements and governments around the globe have suffered a blow. The last, great hope of mankind is AWOL.
