Opinion: Yes, the stakes are high. But our democracy will survive this election.
Kamala Harris and Democrats like to portray Donald Trump as a would-be dictator who could single-handedly upend our democracy. That's not possible, given the beauty of our Constitution.
Call me a dreamer, but I’m not too worried about the future of our democracy regardless of whether Donald Trump or Kamala Harris wins the presidential election Tuesday.
I have no doubt there will be protests across the country, no matter who is the victor, and that’s concerning.
Yet, I also have faith that our system of government will survive.
That’s not the rhetoric we’ve heard from the candidates and their campaigns, however.
Both Trump and Harris have leaned in to calling their opponent a threat to democracy and used fear tactics as a way to turn out their supporters.
Trump has framed Harris as a far-left extremist who would turn the United States into a Marxist mecca.
Harris has called Trump a fascist, unhinged and a tyrant.
All this has Americans on edge, with a lot of people honestly fearing for the future of our country.
That’s a shame.
The election is important, but keep things in perspective
Beyond the top contenders themselves are the issues that are driving voters this election.
While the candidates like to opine about the perils our democracy faces, many Americans are more concerned about what directly affects their daily lives – including the high cost of food and other necessities and the economy, illegal immigration and crime.
As Harris and Trump make their closing arguments, though, the focus of their campaigns has turned darker as they contemplate what could happen if they lose.
Last week, Harris made her case to the American people from the Ellipse in Washington, D.C. – the same spot where Trump spoke to his supporters on Jan. 6, 2021. And even though she attempted to call for unity in the speech, her focus was still very much on calling out her opponent.
“America, we know what Donald Trump has in mind,” Harris told the crowd. “More chaos. More division. And policies that help those at the very top and hurt everyone else. I offer a different path. And I ask for your vote.”
The president does matter. No question. But our system of government is designed so that no branch can hold too much power. That’s the beauty of checks and balances.
It also is expected that whoever wins the presidency will contend with a divided Congress. That should ease voters’ fears, as a split government will work as an impediment to any president’s to-do list.
Harris and Democrats like to portray Trump as a would-be dictator who could single-handedly upend our democracy.
That’s not possible, given the beauty of our Constitution.
As Robert Pondiscio, a senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute, wisely observed recently: “We elect a President, not a king. The Constitution is not threatened by an authoritarian. It was written in anticipation of one.”
Our democracy faces bigger threats than who becomes president
That being said, I believe there are real concerns confronting the country, including a loss of faith in our most basic rights.
For instance, a new survey from the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression found that Americans' understanding of and appreciation for the First Amendment is waning.
More than half of Americans believe that “the First Amendment goes too far in the rights it guarantees.”
And 80% agree in some fashion that “words can be violence.” (That’s not true.)
“Equating words with violence trivializes actual physical harm, shuts down conversations, and even encourages real violence by justifying the use of force against offensive speech,” FIRE President and CEO Greg Lukianoff said in a statement. “Free speech isn't violence, it's the best alternative to violence ever invented.”
If there is a danger facing the country, it will not come from one president. But it could come from ourselves.
Ingrid Jacques is a columnist at Paste BN. Contact her at ijacques@usatoday.com or on X, formerly Twitter: @Ingrid_Jacques.