The editors of the Wall Street Journal speak out against the movement among Republicans to vote against certifying Joe Biden’s election to the presidency:
As Americans like to tell the world, a hallmark of democracy is the willingness to accept defeat and the peaceful transfer of power. The tragedy of the last two presidential elections has been the refusal of partisans to accept defeat, and public trust in American self-government is eroding as a result.
Democrats in 2016 abused the FBI to push the Russia collusion myth and refused to accept Donald Trump’s legitimacy. Hillary Clinton still doesn’t. Now some Republicans are returning the disfavor by challenging the ritual counting of the Electoral College votes by the new Congress this week. Neither one justifies the other, and these columns have called out Democrats for their anti-democratic panic attack.
But the main issue now is that too many Republicans refuse to accept Mr. Trump’s defeat. More than 100 House Members and, as of this weekend, at least 12 Senators say they will formally object to the Electoral College count. This won’t change the result, though it will delay it as Congress spends up to two hours debating the objections to each state’s results. More corrosive will be the precedent and resulting political damage.
The leading culprit here is Mr. Trump, who as always refuses to accept responsibility for defeat. Recall that he also claimed the Iowa caucus result was stolen in 2016 when he lost to Ted Cruz. He’s now spinning conspiracy theories and election falsehoods daily on Twitter. He doesn’t seem to care what damage he does in promoting the myth of his victory.
As I wrote a month ago it’s over. Joe Biden will be the next president of the United States. Now it’s time to pray for his continuing good health.
The both sides do it is nonsense. There is no equivalency between not accepting votes after multiple recounts and court reviews/challenges vs an investigation into a president whose election really did have questionable meetings AND the results of the investigation were not used to try to invalidate an election. (This was mostly just revenge for the Clinton impeachment.)
Otherwise, pretty much agree.
Steve
Steve,
I don’t think there is an equivalence between what the GoP is doing now and what the Democrats, including Clinton, did WRT 2016. In my view what the GoP is doing is far worse, mainly in terms of scale. But being far worse doesn’t mean the Democrats should be given a pass or that I have some obligation to not criticize them because Trump and the GoP are worse.
If we are going to have norms based on actual principles then we should criticize all instances where those norms are broken.
That’s why it’s called a “slippery slope”. The time to stop it was in 2001. It’s easier not to start than to stop.
Is it over?
Biden will take office.
But the questioning of the “moral legitimacy” of a President won’t. Clinton, Bush, Obama, Trump all were regularly accused of being an “illegitimate” President. That won’t stop with Biden given how bitter the campaigns and partisans were and are.
As I’ve said before I think this all goes back to John Tower which in turn was revenge for Jim Wright.
Think we are just stuck with claims that they are not legitimate. I dont really care about those claims. I do care about actions to prevent a democratic change in power. Suppose the GOP held the majority in both Houses. What would happen then?
Steve