For nearly my entire adult life I have been politically independent and ideologically agnostic. Anyone who has read my columns over the past 20 years should know that I have equal disdain for both duopoly parties, and no tolerance for ideological idiocy.
However, in 2018, for the first time ever, I voted straight Democrat, and I will again this November.
Why the sudden departure from political neutrality? President Donald Trump.
For the same reason that the ancient Romans allied with their longtime German enemies to confront a common threat in Atilla and the Huns, I will ally with Joe Biden and the Democrats to confront Trump and his misguided minions, who not only threaten our constitutional democracy and general welfare, but also, most egregiously, our national unity.
America’s social fabric is being torn asunder by mutually antagonistic partisan tribes whose entire universe is limited to a choice between “liberal” and “conservative” belief systems over which they squabble like two groups of rabid monkeys flinging feces at each other. Spend 10 minutes on social media and you will find plenty of the fecal matter.
The intensifying hatred between these perturbed primates has begun to escalate beyond indecorous rage into open violence. They are now physically attacking and even killing each other in the streets.
No wonder many Americans are bracing for the possibility of violence no matter who wins the Nov. 3 election — a lethal possibility given America’s massive private arsenals of firearms and Trump’s repeated statements questioning the legitimacy of the election if he loses.
Looking on from the Kremlin, and hoping America descends into Rwanda-like genocidal tribalism, is Vladimir Putin, no doubt smirking in delight, confident that his relentless social media campaign of provocative misinformation and election meddling have contributed to the unraveling of America — and, to installing his preferred candidate into the White House.
In Trump, Putin has a caustic solvent working to dissolve America’s unity and undermining its prestige around the world. China, determined to eclipse U.S. supremacy, owes Russia a big thank you — and maybe a prime spot on its belt and road.
While Trump did not initiate America’s hateful tribal divisiveness, he thrives on it, enhances and encourages it. He keeps his base supporters agitated and enraged with scapegoating, bogeyman conspiracies, stupid culture war issues and flag-waving jingoism.
He does virtually nothing to unite Americans in common cause — not even to confront a raging pandemic. Even that he leverages into a partisan conflict. The resulting body count is the price he is willing that Americans pay for his personal ambition.
Trump appeals to that segment of the population predisposed to disaffection, paranoia and hatred, and he blames their discontent on other Americans and institutions — the “deep state,” the news media, liberals, academia, scientists, the judicial system, U.S. intelligence agencies, top military commanders, the postal service, Muslims, former President Barack Obama, your neighbors with a Biden 2020 sign in their front yards — anyone or anything, including the Constitution, that exposes or gainsays him or presents an obstacle to his personal ambitions.
Much, if not most, of Trump’s most devoted supporters are among the great mass of disaffected Americans — whom Hillary Clinton disparaged as “deplorables” and whom Trump calls “these disgusting people.”
These people are afraid and angry. They see the “American dream” of a comfortable middle-class life slipping away from them. Fear and anger underlie rage, and rage seeks blame.
Trump takes full advantage of the resulting venomous partisan divide that blames the other tribe for messing up America and causing all the problems. The ensuing culture wars serve to distract from the real cause of their discontent — the systemic wealth and opportunity inequality that has been allowed to fester by both political parties.
America is now less a meritocracy than an economic caste system in which your parents’ place on the economic hierarchy is a greater determinant of success than is ability and hard work. Historically, nations with persistent, pronounced economic disparity don’t sustain peaceful cohesion for very long.
Trump is the great gift to America’s economic aristocracy. His tax cuts, deregulation onslaught and efforts to diminish the social safety net do not benefit most Americans, including his gullible supporters, who may have their guns and Bibles but are left with little else but table scraps from another trickle-down banquet.
Trump has had a lifetime of practice bamboozling and blaming. His consistently appalling lack of character is abundantly confirmed by those closest to him, including his niece, his sister, his former personal lawyer, former cabinet members and high-ranking administration officials who have dealt with him first hand.
Anyone who believes that his malignant character doesn’t pollute his presidency and our nation like a spewing sewer pipe is delusional.
In this election, the Democrats are clearly the lesser evil and the party more likely to address the root cause of disaffection and division.
The Republicans, with few exceptions, have capitulated to Trump, abandoning even the pretense of honor and dedication to constitutional democracy in their efforts to maintain a status quo that benefits a fortunate fraction of Americans.
Trump’s re-election would exacerbate domestic discord and, in the process, undermine our founding principles, erode our values and seriously destabilize our democratic republic to an extent that America may never be made great again.
This election is a critical test for Americans. Will we abandon our founding principles, push our Constitution aside, compromise our values, and unleash a divisive degenerate and aspiring authoritarian for another four years — or more if he has his way?
If not, we must vote for Biden as well as rid Congress of Trump’s craven, unprincipled, enablers.
— Randy Alcorn is a Santa Barbara political observer. Contact him at randyaalcorn@gmail.com, or click here to read previous columns. The opinions expressed are his own.