The Founding Fathers took many precautions to avert any one person from installing themselves as president for life, or more commonly called, dictator.

Felix Alvarado

Editor

George Washington established a precedent that lasted until Franklin Roosevelt that a person should serve only two terms as president. To prevent a person from serving more than two terms and serving no more than ten years in the case of a vice president assuming the office after the termination of a president for whatever reason.

 

The strength of the constitution had not been tested until Donald Trump. Trump boldly proclaimed that the constitution gave him absolute authority. Trump repeatedly said he would not give up the office of president. He even talked of just keep going on and not even having an election.

 

Before he was elected Trump attacked the media unmercifully accusing it of being fake and out to destroy him. The propaganda worked. Trump amassed a following that was blindly loyal to him. In this manner he was able to control the Republican Party. Republicans had to be fearful of him, especially the Senators. Anger Trump and he will strike back. 

 

Trump pushed the limit. He stated that the only way he could lose was if there was a rigged election. When he lost to Joe Biden, he refused to accept the outcome. According to Trump there was massive voter fraud. More people voted than lived in the precinct. Dead people voted. These are accusations that have been around for years. He was willing to take his case to the Supreme Court where he felt confident the results of the election would be invalidated and he could continue as president. The election would go to the House where there are more Republicans than Democrats and he would be reelected. An alternate plan was to convince Democratic electors of the electoral college to vote for him. He even invited some to the White House. 

 

Of course, none of this would be possible if Trump did not have a powerful ally. That ally is Mitch McConnell. McConnell was able to fuse the White House and Senate into one. It was McConnell that prevented Trump from getting convicted during his impeachment. McConnell got what he wanted. He wanted to appoint numerous conservative judges, qualified or unquailed to the federal courts. He succeeded. The big prize was the Supreme Court and the passing of Justice Ginsberg. McConnell rushed a replacement within days. Radically different than when Obama tried to appoint a Supreme Court in his final year. McConnell would not let that happen. McConnel no longer felt that the incoming president should make the appointment.

 

There are fifty states in the US, and each has its own system of voting. Within the state there are many counties/parishes, and each has its own system of voting. The only universal standard that there is for voting is that almost everyone of legal age can vote. Convicted felons can lose their right to vote. Given the dispersal of voting systems it is difficult for mass scale voting fraud to occur. 

 

The system has worked well. Until Trump. All along there has been accusations levied at the system for several reasons, mostly irregularities in mail-in fraud. Winners took a victory lap and losers would go home. Those that were not satisfied with the results could ask for a recount. Recounts work, they confirm the results of the election or as happens sometimes they reveal a problem with the numbers. In either case democracy works.

 

All elections have an end. Trump’s does not because he keeps it on the limelight every day. Trump will not let it go away. Trump has gone to court trying to invalidate the outcome. He has not succeeded in convincing any court that he has a legitimate complaint. Trump big mistake was to take his case immediately to the courts. The courts have spoken clearly, he does not have a case. 

 

Between now and January 20, 2021 there is a lot of time for Trump to continue his brainwashing campaign to invalidate the election. We will see how strong a following he really has. We can only hope that Trump does what losers do. Go home.

 

Trump has exposed weaknesses to the constitution. The constitution has leaks in it. For the United States to continue being a democracy these leaks need to be fixed. Until then we hope that another Mitch McConnell and Donald Trump are not elected at the same time. As it is America can become a dictatorship.

 

This period will be analyzed by every type of professors and writers for many years to come. In many Trump will emerge as the hero to conservatives and as the devil personified to liberals.

 

My own interpretation of the election is that the American people have spoken. They want a return to the status quo. The status quo brings stability, security, and transparency. Both are good for the country.