It was shocking to read in The Washington Post that while many voters say preserving our democracy is a critical issue, a majority of swing state voters polled in a recent survey say they trust Donald Trump, not Joe Biden, to protect us from those threats.
The poll, conducted by The Washington Post and the Schar School of Policy and Government at George Mason University, revealed that more than half the voters questioned In six swing states won narroly by Biden in 2020, said they trust the convicted felon Trump more than Biden on that issue.
That is remarkable since it is Trump, not Biden, who said he will be “a dictator” on his first day in office. It is Trump, not Biden, who has refused to accept the results of the 2020 election, which he falsly claims was rigged. It is Trump, not Biden, who engineered the January 6, 2021 insurrectionist attack on the U.S. Capitol, as he tried to coerce then Vice President Mike Pence to overthrow the election results. It is Trump, not Biden, who has played kissy-face with Putin and other dictators, not Biden.
Who Will Best Preserve Our Democracy?
The Post said that among key-state voters who identify as locked-in Biden supporters, 78 percent see threats to democracy as extremely important, while that's true of 71 percent of Trump loyalists. Threats to democracy are second only to the economy in the percentage of swing state voters overall who describe the issue as extremely important.
According to The Post, more than 7 in 10 believe Trump will not accept the results of the election if he loses, compared with one-third who say the same for Biden. Nearly half, 47 percent, say Trump would try to rule as a dictator if he is elected to another term as president, compared with 15 percent who say Biden would do that.
All of that is scary enough except that if Trump should win the election, he is likely to have a vice president who shares his same values and beliefs. And since he is 78 years of ag, it is not inconceivable that VP could end up succeeding Trump in the White House, which is why so many of those politicians want the job.
So, What About the Vice President?
Potential running mates for Trump refuse to commit to accepting the November election results, regardless of who wins, as recent media interviews highlighted by the Democratic National Committee (DNC) have revealed.
In fact, the DNC noted, "Election denialism is a litmus test in Trump’s MAGA veepstakes, and VP contenders are bending over backwards to push his lies and refuse to commit to accepting this November’s election results."
Said DNC Rapid Response Director Alex Floyd, “For every one of convicted felon Donald Trump’s VP contenders, our democracy and the rule of law takes a backseat to Trump and his MAGA extremism. Here’s what they are defending: Trump’s baseless election denialism, plans to be a dictator on ‘day one’, and promises to pardon the insurrectionists he rallied to attack the Capitol on January 6. All of Trump’s potential running mates are willing to whitewash Trump’s anti-democratic extremism just to chase a spot on his ticket, but the American people won’t stand for it.”
The DNC today posted this summary of potential Trump VP picks and their responses when asked if they would accept the 2024 election results:
NBC News: “Burgum, like other contenders, has declined to comment on whether he would accept the 2024 election results.”
HuffPost: “[J.D. Vance] said he would accept a Biden win only if he considered the election to be legitimate.”
Washington Post: “Senator Marco Rubio of Florida, who has been floated as a possible running mate for former President Donald J. Trump, on Sunday refused to commit to accepting the results of the 2024 presidential election and repeated conspiracy theories about the 2020 election.”
Washington Post: “Sen. Tim Scott (R-S.C.) was pressed at least six times in a TV interview Sunday on whether he would accept this November’s results. He repeatedly declined to do so… He continued to evade the question even as the interviewer, NBC News’s Kristen Welker, reminded him that a ‘hallmark of our democracy is that both candidates agree to a peaceful transfer of power.’”
NBC News: “In an appearance on NBC News’ ‘Meet the Press’ in January, Stefanik declined to commit to accepting the 2024 election results. ”
Laura Coates, CNN: “Will you accept the results of the 2024 election regardless of who wins, yes or no?”Ben Carson: “I will accept the results if it’s done in a fair and transparent way… let me put it this way: In the 2020 election, there were a lot of irregularities.”
Abby Phillip, CNN: “If Donald Trump loses the election in 2024, will you accept the results of that election?”Byron Donalds: “My answer has been very clear on this.”Phillip: “It’s a yes or no question.”Donalds: refuses to commit to accepting the resultsPhillip: “So your answer is conditional on– based on?”Donalds: “My answer is always conditional.”
Daily Beast: “Sen. Tom Cotton Says He’ll Accept 2024 Election Results—With a Condition”
Josh Meny, 2 News Nevada: “Do you have any regrets about picking Mike Pence as your vice president? And what will you do differently this time around when you’re vetting your VP?” Trump: “Mike did a good job until the end when he didn't have the courage to do what you have to do. … if he did that, I believe you would have had different election results.”
NBC News: “None of these potential vice presidential picks have committed to accepting the 2024 election results, whether Trump wins or loses.”
Washington Post: “Top Republicans, led by Trump, refuse to commit to accept 2024 election results”“The question has become something of a litmus test, particularly among the long list of possible running mates for Trump. … The GOP’s desire to appease Trump’s fixation on 2020 now appears to loom over his search for a running mate.”
MSNBC: “Potential GOP running mates hedge on accepting election results”
Axios: “Trump and his allies will want a VP pick that is more willing to comply with the former president's wishes, which former Vice President Pence rejected by certifying the 2020 results.”
No wonder voters are confused about who to trust when it comes to preserving and protecting our democracy. Trump and his butt-kissing supplicants who want to be his VP keep filling the airwaves and social media with lies and propaganda, which all to many people believe.
Who will best preserve our Democracy? Biden or Trump? What do you think?
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