Donald Trump is going to win the election and democracy will be just fine
S E E D E D C O N T E N T
After the first presidential debate, lots of Democrats are panicking about whether President Joe Biden should step down as the party's nominee. Biden's poor performance in the debate was not a surprise. It also didn't rattle me as it has others, because the outcome of this election has been clear to me for months: While I don't plan to vote for him, Donald Trump is going to win. And I'm OK with that.
There are winners and losers in every election. Democrats' post-debate hand-wringing is based on the idea that a Trump victory is not just a political loss, but a unique threat to our democracy. I reject the premise. Unlike Biden and many others, I refuse to participate in a campaign to scare voters with the idea that Trump will end our democratic system.
This Independence Day marks our nation's 248th birthday. In that time, American democracy has withstood civil war, world wars, acts of terrorism and technological and societal changes that would make the Founders' head spin.
Pearl-clutching about a Trump victory ignores the strength of our democracy. Jan. 6, 2021, was a dark day. But Americans stood strong. Hundreds of police officers protected the democratic process against thousands who tried to use violence to upend it. Judges and state election officials upheld our election laws. Members of Congress, including leaders from both parties, certified the election results.
They all are joined in the defense of democracy by the millions of us who, like me, made an oath of allegiance to the United States and to the Constitution when we began our military service, plus hundreds of millions of freedom-loving Americans who won't let anyone take away our constitutional rights as citizens of the greatest democracy in history.
This election is about the economy, not democracy. And when it comes to our economy, our Congress matters far more than who occupies the White House.
Some of Congress' best work in recent years has happened in spite of the president, not because of him. A handful of responsible Democrats, including myself and West Virginia Sen. Joe Manchin, rejected Biden's bloated "Build Back Better" bill and instead passed a law that supercharged American energy production, saved Medicare billions of dollars and reduced the deficit. Years earlier, Congress stood up to the GOP establishment who tried to hijack Trump's agenda to achieve their long-held goal of repealing the Affordable Care Act. Defeating them saved health coverage for tens of millions of Americans and protections for people with preexisting conditions.
It was Congress that wrote and passed the CHIPS Act and the Inflation Reduction Act to bring back manufacturing so we can once again be a nation of producers, not just consumers. We wrote laws to unleash American energy by tapping domestic natural resources — oil and gas, biomass, the sun and wind — as well as nuclear power to ensure a steady supply of affordable, reliable energy. And we passed an infrastructure law that's already building and improving roads, bridges and ports.
In 2025, I believe Trump is going to be in the White House. Maine's representatives will need to work with him when it benefits Mainers, hold him accountable when it does not and work independently across the aisle no matter what.
Congress will need to stand up to economic elites and so-called experts in both parties who are already working overtime to stop Trump's proposed trade policies that would reverse the harms of globalization and protect American businesses from unfair foreign competition. We need to protect from extremists the law I helped pass that caps seniors' insulin costs at $35 and forces Big Pharma to negotiate and lower the cost of prescription drugs.
Perhaps more importantly, members must stand up to the GOP old-guard who will use a Trump presidency as cover for handouts to the wealthy and powerful at the cost of America's working families and communities.
We must stabilize Medicare and Social Security, without cuts for seniors. We must guarantee women's reproductive rights. And Congress must be ready to once again protect the ACA and to end huge tax breaks for the wealthy and for multinational corporations.
I urge everyone — voters, elected officials, the media, and all citizens — to ignore the chattering class's scare tactics and political pipedreams. We don't need party insiders in smoke-filled back rooms to save us. We can defend our democracy without them.
My focus is on representing the people of Maine's Second Congressional District and working for the common good of all Americans. This Independence Day, we should reflect on the history and strength of our great democracy, safe in the knowledge that no one man is strong enough to take it away from us.
The BDN Opinion section operates independently and does not set news policies or contribute to reporting or editing articles elsewhere in the newspaper or on bangordailynews.com
Jared Golden represents Maine's Second Congressional District in the U.S. House of Representatives.
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Translation: Jared Golden fears he will also lose because he will be on the same ballot as Biden.
'This election is about the economy, not Democracy'
Every election is about Democracy.
It can ALSO be about the economy. Why should one preclude the other? It's not an either-or problem/premise
That's a new one.
It can ALSO be about the economy.
The economy is always the top issue.
Why should one preclude the other? It's not an either-or problem/premise
There are a whole range of issues.
Not an either or - obviously there are a whole range of issues always - so as you agree - it's not an either-or thing
Not unusual for those down ballot to weigh the advantages/ disadvantages of a coattail campaign with up ballot candidates. Most candidates in both parties do it.
That is exactly my point.
I see you agree with me.
Having read the article, that makes no sense. Trump will also be on the same ballot and it's a given that 50% of the people on the ballot will lose.
So, you feel that Trump is the great incentive for democrat voters.
You have a point.
We like our President to not be a traitor like trump and a convicted rapist like trump and a convicted felon like trump.
There are days long "discussions" here about what motivates one to throw their vote away on Jill Stein or JFK Jr
as opposed to the old stand by of the "lesser of two evils"
or those extremists who say " I am not voting for Republicans, I am voting against Democrats!"
or vice versa.
it's always been a numbers game.
That may come as a shock to some who will be voting against Trump, being called extremists.
Should Trump win, Democracy will in fact be okay. Some hard core liberal Democrats on the other hand may be another matter alltogether.
Of course democracy will be fine.
All this hoopla over the death of democracy and bullshit about how a President can order his political rival to be executed is unnecessary, lacks logic, and is fear mongering at a level rarely seen.
He is democracy's only chance. This has to end.
The irony will be that, if there are riots because Trump wins, the very ones claiming democracy is at risk will be the ones doing the burning.
If riots occur, as I expect if Trump wins, it will be interesting to see how they compare to the riots perpetrated after Biden won.
That's not irony, that's hypocrisy.
Probably a good bet some on the left will be screaming "outside agitators".
Fear mongering is all some on the liberal hardcore left have anymore.
Can you explain legally why this something we don't need to be worried about?
In what reality do you think a sitting president having his political rival(s) assassinated would be viewed as within his duties?.....
he is Democracy's only chance
WOW
National Security
His mother should send him to his room.
His mother has been dead for years.
That must make it difficult for her to manage the golf course.
She has joined Jackie Walorski.
trump's going to say he won regardless...
Oh, for sure, but I still think that with his comment Golden deserves to have his mother give him a time out.
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Simple answer: they don't qualify for criminal immunity,they still have to face the consequences of their actions.
Kind of like that idea of a " purge", idiots that think that should workand they can get rid of their " problems" forget they themselves are subject to being purged themselves.
Why not?
They have sat on their hands for the last three and a half years of Biden and Democrats doing their best to destroy the country by weaponizing the FBI, CIA, DOJ, and IRS. They have watched Biden refuse to enforce our immigration laws and border; and ignore Supreme Court rulings on multiple occasions.
Biden is far more of a dictator than Trump could ever hope to be.
Partisan conspiratorial nonsense?
Partly true. Like all lies wrapped around a single kernel of truth.
Sorry, you're repeating what you said about every other Dem POTUS ever while giving the Republican POTUS's a pass for the same behavior.
Only to leftists. Which seem to ignore everything going on during the Obama and Brandon regimes.
Again only to leftists. Why don't you point out what is untrue instead of making baseless accusations?
Talk about of fucking lie! Name one good thing I said about Bush Jr? Go ahead. I can wait. I have stated repeatedly I can't stand Trump; but unlike Democrats/leftists I believe in equal application of the law- which there sure as hell hasn't been. Trump is also entitled to due process; despite Democrat/leftists demands that all of his trials be rushed to the front of the line.
I have been anti-Establishment since before it became popular. I am not voting for Republicans, I am voting against Democrats! Until they prove they are fit to lead they don't deserve to be elected to any office at any level of government.
Funny how both had inherited a country and economy in the ditch and turned things around.
Why bother?
Don't know or care, that was before NT or NV.
Opinion
Facts say that they are being slow walked by a Trump appointed judge and SCOTUS and that any Dems or jurists involved are being smeared in public and threatened both privately and officially.
It still isn't popular.
A very popular stance that swings both ways
That also swings both ways, it's a shame that you do not acknowledge that, I mean after all you just implied that you hated the younger Bush. Hmmm?
The lack of self-awareness is awe-inspiring.
This author wrote:
So he admits that police were needed to protect the democratic process from a mob sent to that site and told to fight by Donald Trump.
And yet he also has the nerve to declare:
If there has ever been a candidate who was a bigger threat to our democracy, I’d love to hear who it might be.
Donald Trump has insisted that every election he has taken part in was fixed against him - including the one he won. Even after he won in 2016, he still insisted that millions more people actually voted for him than were counted. His ego could not accept that he lost the popular vote.
And when he lost in 2020, he did everything he could think of to overturn the certified results - using his access and power as president - including trying to get special help from state officials, and the vice president. And if that wouldn’t work, he’d get a mob to stop the process. Thank God for those police officers, who got no help from Trump.
Every court case he has ever been party to, he has attacked judges, opposing counsel, or the jury as corrupt in some way. All without proof. He openly disrespects every institution and process that we have, and encourages his followers to do likewise.
There are many competent politicians who respect our institutions and share some policy goals with Trump. Any one of them would be a better choice. Failing that, Americans should consider choosing even someone who disagrees with Trump. Because literally every other possible choice - if they lost - would not do or say the things Trump did - thereby threatening our democracy - to the extreme degree that he did.
It all started on DAY 1
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The indictments of Hillary, Obama, Holder?
That never happened yet?
Because grand juries do refuse to indict even a ham sandwich without any evidence of crimes!
Comey is a human POS that refused to indict Hillary; he didn't even bring the charges before a Grand Jury! Durham didn't charge her because of two TDS driven Democrat appointed judges and hand picked TDS juries that hamstrung her minion prosecutions. Pretty damn hard to convict when the judges hand pick the juries over prosecution protests; and then disallow key evidence.
Lynch replaced Holder as Obama's AG; and she refused to charge him.
Obama would have to be charged by Holder, Lynch, Sessions, or Barr. The first two were appointed by him. The other two are Establishment pricks. The Establishment takes care of their own.
Hopeless....
He reopened an investigation against her just days before the election which likely cost her the election. He has an R after his name for a reason. He's a horrible human being.
Comey didn't cost the Queen her election.
Her misguided campaign and poor choice of words hurt her.
I have that ignorance on ignore. But there was no fucking reason to indict Hillary. Never has been and never will be.
I believe that is what cost her the election also.
Fuck Comey.
I have to agree with Tex , Hillary cost herself the election.
How she chose to run her campaign like it was a shoe in AND the appearance she thought it was her turn and owed to her, her deciding opposing voters were degs and "deplorables", as a candidate , one can think that even can say it in closelyguarded circles , but never publicly. Doing that was never going to reverse the trending idea that had already been in place for decades,that she was unlikable,a bit of a snob and too good for the average person, and that is what the voters saw , voted on and basically passed on for consideration.
Guess who else currently could be facing the same issues, Harris, jmo not worth much though.
Almost 8 years later, and people still don't get why she lost.
Oh undoubtedly, but Comey sure didn't help. My point is that he was definitely not on her side.
In otherwords, politics as usual, and that surprises people?
If it does they need a new hobby or profession.
You may or may not agree with what I am about to say.
For right now , the 2024 race is in the hands of the individual parties and it's membership.
Right now it is the parties that can win or lose the race.
Once the conventions are held, that precept, of who wins or loses the race rests squarely on the shoulders of the chosen candidate coming out of convention.
Ever notice , it's never the party per say that loses, but the candidate?
IF the parties really want to win , it would I think be shown before and during the convention process.
Looking at what is had, I'm not holding my breath.
I agree.
Why don't you ask the DOJ?
A Special Prosecutor named John Durham ( a darling of the right) had a free hand for FOUR years and came up with nadda.
Under Trump no less....
Signed,
2020.
Is that you Joe?...