Moving on From 2020
ewerickson.substack.com
Democrats keep screaming that Republicans are fascists who want to destroy America. They keep encountering an issue that should give them pause.
In the January 6 hearings, in society, in the polling — there are a lot of Republicans who have moved on from Trump or never liked Trump and they’d still vote for him over them. There are a lot of Republicans who don’t think 2020 was stolen and who condemn what happened on January 6, but they’d still vote Trump over Democrats. But Democrats have never been willing to self-reflect and wonder what about them makes so many reject them.
Being perhaps insufficiently self reflective, I viewed Erick's video in which he listed all the reasons why even Republicans who dislike Trump would vote for him again. Having done so, I would ask this: If you were able to prevail on each and every one of these issues on which Democrats would seem to be so insane, would you give up our freedom in order to do so? Because if the Constitution is what provides and protects our freedom as we have known it for more than 230 years, that is precisely what was/is at stake with Mr. Trump.
You see, autocrats have an ugly tendency not to give up power. Exhibit A: January 6th. The only reason Donald Trump gave up power was because good people in state governments, at the Justice Department, and on the nation's courts made him do it. Reelect him again and before the next occasion to surrender power arises, he will have replaced enough of those good people to prevail next time. Then, being in firm control of the Justice Department and with MAGA acolytes in control of state legislatures in critical states, he would be in a position to manufacture enough uncertainty in 2028 to install a successor who is similarly willing to do whatever is necessary to hold on to power, the Constitution be damned. Then, were Democrats ever able to wrest power away, they would play by the same rules and America would thereafter be governed by whichever "strongman" just so happened to be the strongest. With the Constitution now circling the bowl, there goes our freedom.
Let me now ask you the same question again, but in a different way - and yes, I am going to go there. Were Adolph Hitler willing to give you your way on each and every one of the policy issues on which the Democrats would seem to be so insane, would you vote for him? You see, once Hitler took power, he turned out to be remarkably good at making the trains run on time and as for those pesky (insane) communists, he outlawed them entirely. And so Germans, otherwise of good conscience, acquiesced . . . until it was too late.
Erick, this is not the first time in which Americans have disagreed on issues thought fundamental to morality, justice, or just plain old common sense. Set aside whether they are right or wrong, can you not see how those who think we are in the process of incinerating the planet would consider people on the other side to be completely (adopting your term) insane? In the early part of our history, slavery was the issue on which people disagreed to such a degree that they eventually resorted to arms to resolve it. And yet, neither side ever stooped to electing an autocrat in order to prevail.
Why don't you self-reflect on that.
Sorry, I can't vote for Trump. I simply can't vote for someone who has so little respect for the Constitution. I can't. I have no idea what personal whim will materialize that he'll need to satisfy that brings along the next constitutional crisis. I also can't vote for a Democrat. So, I'll either vote for the Libertarian or write in.
Here's an idea. Nominate someone else.