At this time 24 hours from now, results will be coming in for the 2024 U.S. elections with all eyes on the outcome of the presidential election between current Vice-President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump.
It might take several days for the results to be clear perhaps longer depending on the outcome. But from where I sit the results of the presidential election will be good, bad or ugly.
Good
The only good outcome of the presidential election is a Kamala Harris victory.
In this case, victory entails Harris surviving shenanigans by Trump and his quislings to overturn the will of the people and be inaugurated as the 47th President of the United States on January 20, 2025. Should this come to pass let us also hope there will be no attempt by Trump and his quislings to overthrow the Harris Administration.
It must be said that good isn't perfect. Harris will be constrained both by Congress of which one at least House controlled by Republicans and a conservative Supreme Court. I will also invariably disagree with some of the things a Harris Administration will say and do. Should I be dissatisfied with Harris' stewardship then it is quite possible that come 2028, I might choose a different President. But this is exactly what democracy ought to be.
Kamala Harris isn't entitled to my vote in four years from now, but she has earned it this year. She has earned it by seeking to help others rather seeking retribution for oneself.
Bad
A bad outcome would be a Harris victory which Congress fails to certify and sees fit to choose Trump with the Supreme Court bestowing its blessing. Should Congress and the Supreme Court see fit to disregard the free choice of the American people then we shall cease to be a democracy.
One could argue this isn't the first time this has come to pass with Bush vs. Gore in 2000. But Bush did not stay in power for life and was widely praised for his efforts towards a smooth transition to the Obama Administration.
Should Trump return to power by dubious means then all bets are off because we would truly be in uncharted territory. Above all else, do not expect Trump to surrender power willingly. Indeed, this scenario would invariably result in massive protests which a second Trump Administration would crush mercilessly.
There are those such as David French who does not believe that any effort by Trump to overturn the election will end in failure. But that doesn't mean he won't try and as long as he tries one cannot discount the possibility he might succeed.
Ugly
An ugly outcome would be a Trump win.
It would be ugly because Trump has made it loud and clear that he is seeking retribution. When I heard Trump say he'd be a dictator on day one, I understood it to be his intention to suspend the Constitution. Should this come to pass, and it survives judicial challenges, then Trump is free to jail and execute his enemies real and imagined, restrict the First Amendment by shutting down the free press, and make himself President-for-Life.
If a second Trump terms results in Kamala Harris, Joe Biden, the Obamas, the Clintons, Chuck Schumer, Nancy Pelosi and Liz Cheney being imprisoned and/or executed for treason then none of us are safe. What consequences would I face from a second Trump Administration for posting these thoughts? Would I lose the job I worked so hard to earn? Or would I lose a great deal more than that?
What makes this truly ugly is that we will have freely chosen this path with no hope of going back. There are a great many Trump supporters who despise immigrants, look down upon women and LGBTQ persons and cannot countenance any viewpoint contrary to their own. These are people who are sick of democracy and want to try something else.
I also believe there are Trump supporters who are still convinced that he is more bark than bite. I should mention I have come across those who loathe Trump as much as I do who are not convinced that he will become a dictator. Over the weekend, I was having dinner with one such anti-Trump friend who after reading Tim Alberta's article in The Atlantic about the chaos at the now infamous Madison Square Garden rally is convinced that Trump is too stupid to be a dictator.
At this stage, we can ill-afford to underestimate Trump whatever the outcome of the election. Let us remember that Trump tried to prevent the peaceful transfer of power once. If we reject him again, Trump won't take no for an answer and try once more.
But if he wins then the gloves are off. The Supreme Court has basically told him he can do whatever the hell he wants. So why wouldn't he? The only way not to answer that question is to not give Trump another chance.
Conclusion
For the moment, America still has a choice, and we can still choose a good outcome. Yet it is possible that we can make the right choice, and it might not be enough to prevent nefarious forces from imposing an outcome not of our choosing. Or we might see fit to burn it all down.
It remains to be seen which door America will choose to open. I can only we choose the door which won't lock behind us.
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