Us vs. Them
The 2024 election could be characterized as “Us” vs. “Them.” This distinction is not based on political, ideological, or geographical differences, but one that reveres American democracy despite its shortcomings versus a recalcitrant opposition that wants to dismantle the whole thing.
Those on the dismantling side are not concerned with the number of provable falsities uttered by their candidate. They are not appalled by the myriad indictments or convictions. Their anger, rage, and frustration create a form of myopia where they can only see the potential pain of their perceived adversary.
If their candidate wins in November they won’t be singing “Happy Days Are Here Again.” They will be salivating at the prospects of who will be hurt by his victory. They do not coalesce around possibility but the toxicity of hate.
There will be no empathy for the young mother who must carry a child full term her father conceived. They will rejoice at the prospects of more people unable to make ends meet, citing it as the failure of liberal policies. Buoyed by the election results, they will be overcome by euphoria contemplating the book they’ve never read that will be banned.
Some offer this group blindly votes against their interests. I disagree. They only vote against their interests when one assumes what their interests should be. They are, in my view, unequivocally voting their interests. It just happens their interests are incongruent with the democratic mores that the country has committed.
If some realize a moment of clarity, great, but I see no reason to leave the light on. This coalition is fueled by resentment, embraces the conspiracy theory de jour, renders facts subjective, and is hamstrung by intellectual certainty, they have strutted and fretted more than their allotted hour upon the stage it is well past time they are heard from no more.
Conversely, the “Us” side is held together by the desire to preserve the ideals of liberty and equality. The date (July 4, 1776) when the ideals were made public is what the Statue of Liberty holds in her left hand. Each time this country endured the pains of needed change, those ideals rested at the epicenter legitimizing such efforts.
I commend the former and current Republican elected officials who publicly state their support for “Team Us.” Many disagree with Vice President Kamala Harris on practically everything she supports. They have decided the tribalism that dominates American politics has no place in this year’s election. Before we can hunker down in our respective red/blue silos the nation must rid itself of the carcinogen that threatens its democratic lymph nodes.
This may be the first election in the modern era where political ideology is a secondary consideration. In 2024, “Team Us” is an amalgamation of beliefs from conservative to liberal. Fortifying the democratic guardrails is their priority.
Beyond disparate grievances, “Team Them” has no ideology. Bound together by fear, trepidation, and homogenization narrowly defined is the coin of the realm. Like lemmings, they justify jumping off the political cliff because they’ve come too far to turn around.
This dilemma cannot be resolved by leaving the presidents portion of the ballot blank or writing in a third party. That may feel honorable to those Republicans who cannot see voting for the opposition, but it’s a cowardly stand if the goal is to defend the nation’s norms against all enemies foreign and domestic.
For 248 years, those ideals withstood the might of the British Empire, the destruction of the presidential mansion in 1814, a civil war, and Watergate. How can one be concerned with personal voting integrity when the preservation of the ideals that formed the country is on the ballot?
Regardless of the motivation, those who wish to dismantle the nation are a self-absorbed lot. They have created their narrative, preferring to send people to represent them who hold the same level of contempt for our democratic values, an apologist for treasonous behavior. Should this coalition muster 270 electoral votes, the nation will be demonstrably different. Job applications for key positions in the administration will likely state: “Sycophants need only apply.”
The obvious refrain: “Everyone who votes for the Republican nominee does not want to dismantle everything.” True, but their continued support, given what is known, makes
them unindicted co-conspirators.
It is simply not enough for the “Us” side to garner the required number of Electoral College votes. It must be a decisive victory lest this toxic menace will continue to dwell among us.
The existing political climate is not a recent phenomenon. Encroachment on the democratic guardrails has been underway for several decades. However, American democracy does not possess the bandwidth for lies, obfuscation, and alternative facts to become normative in our amorphous pursuit of a more perfect union.