Trego's Mountain Ear

I noticed a Democrat saying that the Republicans are the greatest threat to
democracy. The guy may be right – but if he is, the Republicans are only a couple points above his own party.

Here in Lincoln County, a Democrat can’t win an election. About all they can do is to vote Republican in the primary to get a different – possibly, probably, less qualified Republican elected to the position. In 1970 a Republican couldn’t get elected in Lincoln County. There’s a threat to democracy that occurs whenever one group has a monopoly on the elected positions.

The ultimate threat to democracy is the single party state. In my youth, Khrushchev ran for office in the Soviet Union – the ballots had a single candidate, and when turned in blank, it was counted as a vote for the candidate. Stalin described the system: “Those who vote decide nothing. Those who count the vote decide everything.”

Political parties that have a monopoly on elections do not develop legislation that makes it easier for their opponents to field candidates and cast ballots. It just isn’t in their nature. Republicans, Democrats, Communist Party of the Soviet Union – none pass election laws that make it easier for their opponents to get votes.

George Washington cautioned against political parties: “However [political parties] may now and then answer popular ends, they are likely in the course of time and things, to become potent engines, by which cunning, ambitious, and unprincipled men will be enabled to subvert the power of the people and to usurp for themselves the reins of government, destroying afterwards the very engines which have lifted them to unjust dominion.” And it was his experience with a new country’s political parties that brought him to this conclusion – picture how much more benign political parties were for the first President than they are for the 47th.

Will Rogers got half of it when he said, “Democrats are the only reason to vote for Republicans.” The thing is, if you reverse the parties, the statement is still true.

In 2016, I had a choice between Hilary Clinton and Donald Trump. Some Choice. In 2020, we saw Biden beat Trump – and learned a new phrase – “vote harvesting.”

The Republicans probably are the greatest threat to democracy today – but when the Dems return to power, they will reclaim that title.

As for me, I’ll continue to vote libertarian when possible – there is something to be said for electing people who fundamentally believe that government doesn’t work – ever! It’s that unwritten beatitude: “Blessed are those who expect nothing, for they shall not know disappointment.”