David Ignatius
The one indisputable fact about Election 2020 is that America remains a divided country. President Trump has lost the popular vote and appears close to losing the electoral college as well. But Republicans currently have the upper hand in retaining control of the Senate.
Americans want health and economic recovery — but exit polls show a sharp split about which comes first. Encouragingly, the band of “purple” states, between red and blue, seems to be widening.
Rather than arguing with this mixed message, let’s think about what it means for the country: A majority of Americans are fed up with this president, but a substantial minority mistrust what they see as a liberal elite that ignores or disdains their views. “Trumpism” may continue without Trump in the White House. But this should pose a political challenge for Democrats, not an existential threat.
“Don’t fight the problem,” famously observed Gen. George C. Marshall, the Army chief of staff during World War II and later secretary of state. Meaning, in this case, if Joe Biden is elected, he shouldn’t try to govern over the heads of people who voted for Trump, or behind their backs — but through them, with policies that will make “unity” more than just a slogan. To quote Jamie Gorelick, a Democratic lawyer and former deputy attorney general, “Just telling people that they are wrong does not work.”
It’s mildly reassuring to look at what hasn’t happened so far. Polling places didn’t see significant violence or armed intimidation; foreign adversaries didn’t achieve successful cyberattacks on our voting machinery. Trump, for all his fulminations about election fraud, looks more like a deflated balloon than an authoritarian preparing to seize power. As always, he’s surrounded by lawyers bargaining for the last percentage point — but frankly, that hyper-litigious approach never worked very well for Trump in business. And judges don’t like being jammed.
Still, as the days pass without a result, it’s scary to see militant demonstrators gathering around ballot-counting sites. But hopefully this won’t become a wildfire of intimidation and violence. Proponents of law and order need to mean it.
Will Republicans be able to rebuild their ruined party if Trump no longer commands the White House? For Senate Republicans, the departure of the orange fireball would offer an opportunity for what many have claimed privately they’ve wanted — to be more faithful to their values and less afraid of retribution. Will that happen? For this generation of Republicans, running scared has become a way of life. But maybe some GOP senators will find a backbone under the Christmas tree. It would take only a few.
Divided government would probably push Biden to govern more from the center, where he seems most comfortable. That’s a mixed blessing: The country needs bipartisan solutions, but it also needs economic change — making health care available to all, for example, and distributing the rewards of future prosperity more fairly. The center should be a locus for action, not paralysis.
Because the executive branch controls foreign policy, a Biden win would help repair U.S. alliances and revive the independence and self-confidence of our intelligence agencies. Trump’s reported plan to purge those he viewed as disloyal — FBI Director Christopher A. Wray, Defense Secretary Mark T. Esper, perhaps CIA Director Gina Haspel — marks a dark path ahead if he wins.
One symbol of American continuity and stability is the U.S. military. Gen. Mark A. Milley, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, has kept the armed forces independent of politics since June, when he unfortunately accompanied Trump across Lafayette Square in uniform. Milley regularly reminds himself and his troops that their oath is to the Constitution, not a president. A Pentagon transition team is ready to begin meeting with Biden’s team, if an election victory is certified.
Whatever the final results, we won’t be able to blame the outcome on Russia this year. “It seemed to be quiet this week on the election-security front,” said Christopher C. Krebs, head of the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, which coordinated efforts by the FBI, Cyber Command and the 50 state governments. Kudos to our cyber-protection team.
After something terrible nearly happens — a bout with cancer, a car crash averted at the last minute — it’s good to take a deep breath and say a prayer of thanks. Four more years of President Trump would be a terrible event for the United States. But even the deepest wounds can begin to heal if we have an empathetic leader who doesn’t rip at the scabs.
No comments:
Post a Comment