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    Every presidential election is important, but Harris-Trump seems huge

    Mars Posted on

    “If Trump wins, it will be worse than his first term. In those four years, he became an outlaw,” says presidential historian Douglas Brinkley.

    Dan Sewell
    | Journalist

    Every U.S. presidential election is important: it decides who will lead our country for the next four years.

    This year seems huge. You have two very different candidates. And they offer very contrasting paths for the next four years.

    For me, this is the most important election of my life. And yours too, assuming you were not born on the 19thth century.

    For an expert opinion on whether this is an exaggeration, I turned to presidential historian and prolific author Douglas Brinkley, a professor at Rice University (and native of ‘Ohio). He acknowledges that it is a monumental choice, largely due to Donald Trump’s personality and agenda.

    “There are all the other American presidents,” Brinkley commented, “and then there is Trump… He is our only president who has dictatorial and authoritarian tendencies.”

    A historian’s view of this election

    “If (Democrat Kamala) Harris wins, there will be a continuation of what’s happening with (Joe) Biden. It will be a traditional type of government, with some nuances. We will have the first female president, which is exciting,” Brinkley said.

    “If Trump wins, it will be worse than Trump’s first term. In those four years, he became an outlaw,” Brinkley said of the Republican candidate who promised “retribution.”

    “This is not a bully pulpit. This is a revenge pulpit,” he said.

    For his part, Trump claims that it is the Democrats who constitute “a threat to democracy” due to the growing influence of the “radical left”.

    But concerns about Trump and democracy are more pronounced.

    He signaled that his presidency would mean a cleansing of federal employees, the allocation of government positions based on loyalty to Trump, mass deportations and a radical reduction in environmental regulations, land protections, education and other areas, Brinkley said.

    Other presidents have planned sweeping reforms similar to the 2025 plan developed by conservative groups for a second Trump term. One couple, Warren Harding and Richard Nixon, were destroyed by scandals. Another, Ronald Reagan, softened some of his positions after surviving an assassination attempt, Brinkley said.

    Supreme Court decision could embolden Trump

    A U.S. Supreme Court ruling in July ruled that a president has absolute immunity for essential activities related to his role. That sparked fears that the decision would open the door for Trump “to become a mad dictator.” This is a new issue since the last time he was president,” Brinkley said.

    “He lives by ‘what I can get away with.’ He is much more interested in raw power than traditional governance, which is why he expresses admiration for Russian President Vladimir Putin, the northern dictator -Korean Kim Jong Un, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban and other authoritarian leaders, Brinkley said Trump expressed skepticism about our traditional European alliances.

    Despite being a twice-convicted felon, Trump has a strong hold on his coalition of supporters who view him as someone who understands their grievances and frustrations with the current federal government. And he knows how to seduce them.

    “We live in a society of influential celebrities and American presidents are the ultimate celebrities,” and “Trump’s Billionaire Apprentice, I’ll Fire You, Guy, was firmly ingrained in pop culture,” Brinkley said.

    The election will undoubtedly be close, he said, with Harris likely to win the popular vote but facing an Electoral College toss-up as Trump competes evenly with her in field states. battle.

    Trump’s perception that the high court, to which he has appointed three justices, supports him, makes it more likely that Trump will challenge any negative election results again, Brinkley said. He attempted to overturn his 2020 defeat, rallying supporters who came to Washington, D.C., on January 6, 2021, for what turned out to be an assault on the Capitol by rioters hoping to block certification of the election. Biden.

    “He will refuse to accept defeat,” Brinkley predicted.

    Brinkley tries to stay positive; he travels a lot – he spoke October 8 at the University of Kentucky – and from what he sees, he believes “the fundamentals of our country are good.”

    There will be determined resistance to any serious threat to democracy, Brinkley said.

    “The United States was built to last,” the historian said.

    Rather than fearing the outcome, people can get involved in campaigns, talk to other people about voting, and make sure they vote themselves.

    This is not the year to stay away.

    Dan Sewell is a regular Opinion contributor. Contact: [email protected]

    Mars
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