As far as I can make it, it’s that they might steal an election by cheating (but no reflection allowed on the queasily illegal practices last time on our side); or they might successfully protest an election with mobs; or they might win an election through voter suppression; or they might win fair and square. All of these scenarios are unacceptable threats to democracy.
I have no interest in giving additional clicks to Vox but your description sounds like the same "we're all gonna DIE!!!!!!" argument I've been hearing ever since the Democrats claimed Ronald Reagan was going to start a nuclear war with the Russians if he was elected.
They consider a threat to their power to be equivalent to a threat to the nation. All political parties and major players think this way to a certain extent, but it becomes more pronounced with dictators and narcissists.
"Another (dark scenario for the future) is the minority rule threat, in which Republicans could consistently win according to the rules but without getting a majority of votes nationwide, due to advantages in the Senate, Electoral College, and redistricting."
So the threat to our American Democracy (i.e. Representative Republic) is that it might work by design, as it has for over 200 years?
Stealing elections is a threat to democracy. All of the other nightmare scenarios are the consequences of democracy, or at least our modified representative constitutional democracy. No one ever promised it would produce the best theoretically possible results, only that it probably would produce better results than, say, monarchy or dictatorship or anarchy.
They're not sure, complaints are inconsistent, but it has something to do with Republicans.
ReplyDeleteAs far as I can make it, it’s that they might steal an election by cheating (but no reflection allowed on the queasily illegal practices last time on our side); or they might successfully protest an election with mobs; or they might win an election through voter suppression; or they might win fair and square. All of these scenarios are unacceptable threats to democracy.
ReplyDeleteI have no interest in giving additional clicks to Vox but your description sounds like the same "we're all gonna DIE!!!!!!" argument I've been hearing ever since the Democrats claimed Ronald Reagan was going to start a nuclear war with the Russians if he was elected.
ReplyDeleteThey consider a threat to their power to be equivalent to a threat to the nation. All political parties and major players think this way to a certain extent, but it becomes more pronounced with dictators and narcissists.
ReplyDelete"Another (dark scenario for the future) is the minority rule threat, in which Republicans could consistently win according to the rules but without getting a majority of votes nationwide, due to advantages in the Senate, Electoral College, and redistricting."
ReplyDeleteSo the threat to our American Democracy (i.e. Representative Republic) is that it might work by design, as it has for over 200 years?
Yes, both that scenario and the one where Republicans win an actual majority are threats to democracy.
ReplyDeleteStealing elections is a threat to democracy. All of the other nightmare scenarios are the consequences of democracy, or at least our modified representative constitutional democracy. No one ever promised it would produce the best theoretically possible results, only that it probably would produce better results than, say, monarchy or dictatorship or anarchy.
ReplyDelete