Trump is not going to stop mail-in voting. We know he makes promises (lies) and doesn’t deliver. His most recent lie was the promise of a “new healthcare plan” that would be ready in two-weeks. Like Mexico “paying for a wall” or COVID-19 “disappearing”, Trump’s asinine statements are a cacophony of never ending BS that rarely materializes. Instead, what he is very good at is creating chaos. It is within this chaos that our already fragile faith in our democratic institutions hangs in the balance. Jason Stanley, author of “How Fascism Works: The Politics of Us and Them” asserts that our democratic institutions are only as strong as the people’s beliefs in them. He warns that fascist leaders create chaos (such as an election crisis) that they then assert “only they can control”:
A recent report from researchers at at Harvard, Northeastern, Northwestern and Rutgers notes that a majority of Americans (66 percent) support voting by mail. And increasingly, many more Americans plan to vote by mail in this election than in 2016. However, when I saw that 56 percent of Texans said that they are likely to vote by mail, I was mortified. Here are the Texas Secretary of State’s rules for mail-in voting:
- you are 65 years or older;
- you are disabled;
- you will be out of the county on Election Day and during the period for early voting by personal appearance; or
- you are confined in jail, but otherwise eligible.
Clearly 56 percent of Texans do not meet these criteria, but, most people are not political junkies, and assume that if Trump is saying “vote by mail is bad”, it must be permissible to vote that way. Texans are turning from Trump, whether they are political or not. But the confusion that will ensue in my state and others when people try to vote by mail and cannot is exactly what he wants--a confused and disenfranchised electorate with unsuspecting citizens surprised and angry that they cannot vote safely. These beleaguered voters will likely not know or care who’s at fault. In the midst of a pandemic, economic downturn and racial unrest, if an election crisis ensues, Trump will assert that that only “he can solve it”. To many the idea that Trump can solve any crisis if ludicrous; however, if you are caring for a sick loved-one, unemployed or facing eviction and cannot vote safely, you are going to want some sense of “order” some relief. Trump is testing the fascist waters, from secret police to constantly trumpeting “LAW AND ORDER”. Trump has failed in responding to COVID-19. He is failed to “reopen the economy”. He is losing in the polls. Election Day chaos and confusion is the only way he can win, and he is reverently sowing those seeds.
Yesterday, House Minority Whip James Clyburn stated that he fears Trump will not allow a “free and unfettered” election. I believe Rep. Clyburn. However, I will keep fighting to do all I can to ensure my fellow Texans’ votes are cast and counted. Please share with your networks the voting rules in your state, especially with first-time or infrequent voters. We are our democratic institutions. The right to vote was a hard-won fight. We must remain vigilant and ensure the 2020 presidential election is indeed FREE and UNFETTERED.