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This past election I would say was a "once in a generation" event. The only other election as one-sided that I can remember was in 1964 when Barry Goldwater ran against Lyndon Johnson for President.
This past week was an election night to remember for Democrats, and they deserve credit for recruiting good candidates throughout the country. I suppose that some Democrats might believe that this crushing defeat for Republicans in the Congress represents a fundamental shift in our politics. Yet, I look upon it more as a vote against Trump, Trumpism, MAGA, and all that came with it.
The country realized that warrantless searches, the bashing of defenseless people by ICE, punitive tariffs, attacks on our traditional allies like Canada, and finally the military attack on Iran which resulted in the closing of the main sea artery for Mideast oil causing high energy prices--was essentially the work of one man--Donald J. Trump.
There was also a human dynamic, I believe, at work. Americans expect their Presidents to be reasonable, deliberate and undertake their duties with a sense of humility. I think President Trump's arrogance and lack of humility may have been the final straw in his undoing.
Since the country was going in the wrong direction, the only answer was to elect people to the House of Representatives and U.S. Senate who would stand up to all of this. Now, we have a branch of our government, the legislature (Congress,) elected to check the excesses of the current Executive and occupant of the White House.
I also believe that there was another issue which led to Trump's downfall and the licking that the Republicans took in the election…and that is the matter of elections themselves. Despite all of our bickering over politics, Americans remain pretty much united in believing in the sanctity of our elections. At its core, elections are the basis of our democracy.
When the Trump administration started going after our system of elections, getting the federal government and post office involved--that woke up a lot of people. It was clear that the intent of the White House was not to encourage voter participation but to suppress it.
It brought back memories of the President trying to subvert the 2020 election, the "patriots" storming the Capitol, phone calls to Georgia trying to find a few thousand more votes--all of that came into view again, and Americans were tired of it. Our system of elections works, and it should not be manipulated to help those who are in power.
President Trump said: "Vote as if my name were on the ballot!" The country did and the results are in.
Trump, Trumpism, MAGA--whatever you want to call it--was on the ballot this year. America is better than that. It is time for us to return to our history as a stable, democratic, dependable nation which can be counted on to address the real problems of the country as well as collaboratively lead the free world in a time of great challenge and tumult.
The election also gives the Republican Party an opportunity to put more space between politics and religion, to disengage from the culture wars, and to focus on issues that will bring the country together. It can return to what it used to be known for--being pro-business, promoting balanced budgets, advocating for limited government, supporting a strong defense and engaging in a bi-partisan foreign policy. That is the Republican Party that I grew up with, and it is a voice that has historically been an important part of our national politics.
Rolland Kidder is a Stow resident.