Tuesday, October 13, 2020

What Do Americans Fear the Most? The Pandemic, or Getting a Fair Election?

 

Pandemic Diary - Day 212

Dear Diary,

What do Americans fear more? 

The COVID crisis, or having a fair election in November?

On one hand, it would seem to be a no-brainer; the pandemic that's infected over 7.8 million Americans and killed over 219,000, is a damn good reason to feel fear.

Especially because it's still raging out of control across the nation. The patchwork of protections in each state is failing because of economic and political reasons. Not to mention total lack of leadership from the White House.

But there's something else Americans fear; our democracy is at stake in this election. The far-reaching implications of having an authoritarian government is terrifying.

Because Trump is losing the election, by all counts, he's doing everything it takes to suppress voters from going to the polls, or at the polls by calling on his "Trump's Army" to intimidate people at the polls.

His end gambit could very well be to defy the results by going to the courts to contest them, and refusing to step down in an orderly transition.

By pushing though the confirmation of Amy Barrett, Trump's hoping a contested election will go before the Supreme Court where he'll have another appointed stooge to back his power grab.

This same new judge will likely make it a majority to overturn Obamacare and leave millions of Americans with no insurance for pre-existing conditions.

It would be a death sentence. In the long run more people could die from that reversal than the coronavirus where at least there's a real chance of having a vaccine and containing the pandemic.

I suppose one could argue that the two are entwined. Fear to vote in person because of the virus and intimidation, and the fear of becoming an authoritarian state. 

From all accounts Americans are turning out to vote in historic numbers this year. In spite of their fears. Or, because of them.

Quote for the Day: "How do you stop those who will stop at nothing?" Anonymous

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