I commend The Citizen for publishing the column “Fayette’s voting system pronounced ‘secure, fully functioning’ by state audit.” The piece points out that we have had — and will have — a fair elections system.
I am a former local Georgia elected official (and ex-Republican). Most of my friends are conservatives. Many believe in Trump’s disingenuous “deep state conspiracy” elections theory pushed by right wingers. Based on the facts, I absolutely do not. Trump is just a totalitarian bully who has little regard for democracy.
Carl Bernstein of Washington Post/Watergate fame appeared on CNN in 2018, well before the 2020 election. He castigated the media for fixating on minor issues. Instead, he suggested that more time be devoted to analyzing the move towards dictatorship by our then-President. He made the case for directly comparing Trump to infamous former Senator Joe McCarthy of Wisconsin.
McCarthy was prominent during the Cold War period immediately after WW II, when the USA was swept by anti-communist hysteria. McCarthy played on these feelings, appealing to the frightened masses, especially those in the GOP base.
Bigotry was another aspect of the McCarthy era. McCarthy disproportionately persecuted Jews and homosexuals, convenient scapegoats during that time period (similar to Muslims and Hispanics today).
He attacked the State Department for supposedly being “infested by Communists” (untrue), and falsely claimed he had a list of over 200 traitors. In 1953, the Republican-controlled Senate made McCarthy Chair of the Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations of Governmental Operations. McCarthy accused the Democrats of “twenty years of treason.”
He decided to question the patriotism of the US Army in televised hearings. He came off as an aggressive, demeaning bully who slandered people without any regard to the truth. After public sentiment had grown very negative, McCarthy finally was called to account for his actions by the Senate, which voted to censure him.
McCarthy proved amazingly little but was very divisive. He used smear tactics to ruin the reputation and lives of hundreds of innocent people, including everyday Americans and civil servants as well as elected officials opposing him. For four years, he was largely supported by a GOP leadership who knew full well that he was totally wrong, but was afraid to anger their motivated base.
But McCarthy was only a Senator. We now have a former President using many of the same tactics, questioning our elections system, the basis of our democracy. Indicted multiple times for his insurrection efforts and related crimes, Trump is fighting back. He’s hitting below the belt, demanding that we investigate, punish and remove civil servants and whistle blowers.
Trump is again running for President. And he will claim that the 2024 election is rigged if he does not win.
The real question that remains is: “what will the GOP leadership ever do about our modern-day McCarthy and his clear undercutting of our democracy?”
It is up to all of us, Republicans as well as Democrats and Independents, to protest Trump’s authoritarian behavior and place pressure on GOP leaders to denounce his tactics, statements and actions. We Americans are better than this.
Jack Bernard
http://universalhealthreform.wordpress.com/
Peachtree City, Ga.
As I commented on a previous article,
“
“Secure, fully functioning…” ?
In spite of the fact that, if you know the ip address, you can get into the election commission servers?”
In addition, I was a poll watcher during the runoff elections and saw fraud. When I questioned it, I was lied to by the county election commissioner where I sat at the poll.
Free and fair? I don’t. Think so……..
In spite of the fact that, if you know the ip address, you can get into the election commission servers?”
Source please.
Don’t take my word for it. Do your own research and you will see that it’s possible.
Not sure what you’re asking? “Source?” ? Personal experience.
Bernie – Election fraud is serious. I’m sure that you reported this to law enforcement. What is the status of the criminal case now? Have the perpetrators been arrested? Is the GBI involved?
I’m very interested in the outcome.
Yes, I don’t Make these allegations lightly.
Poll watchers were given a hotline phone number to call and report anything suspicious that was seen.
I did so at the time but have never been contacted for any follow up.
Bernie – This is very interesting. Since the Republicans control every level in the state government as well as here in Fayette County, I can think of only two conclusions from your experience. In the best case scenario, whatever fraud you thought you saw was mistaken or inconsequential to the election outcome. In the worst case, the fraud favored the Republican candidate and was swept under the rug.
I hope you will follow up on this election fraud and hold the Republicans’ feet to the fire. How ironic that the Republicans are so distrustful of the 2020 presidential election results, yet they will not act on the fraud that you encountered.
Liberalism is a mental disorder and your silly ramblings are more evidence of the unbalanced thinking brought about by the disorder! The democrats are trying their best to bring down our nation and bring in the New World Order and are becoming more and more open about it, but instead of going after real criminals (Hunter Biden and his father) democrats are filing silly politically motivated charges against Trump who is opposed to the attacks on our nation’s sovereignty!
I love this copypasta lol lemme try:
Conservatism is a mental disorder and your silly ramblings are more evidence of the unbalanced thinking brought about by the disorder! The republicans are trying their best to bring down our nation and bring in the New World Order and are becoming more and more open about it, but instead of going after real criminals (Jared Kushner and his father-in-law) republicans are filing silly politically motivated charges against the Bidens who are opposed to the attacks on our nation’s sovereignty!
It’s like mad libs in the comments section; thanks for the laugh oldfayetteboy
Nicely done.
Thank-you, Jack, for being a voice of reason. Republicans have had their party hijacked and need to get back to voices of reason that want to present ideas and policy rather than gripes and lies. America needs a return to sanity and work together.
I thank Mr. Bernard for this well-reasoned historical parallel of narcissistic, populist bullies and the havoc they have been allowed to inflict upon the American people by their party leaders who, knowing full well the consequences of these falsehoods, sit on their hands and refuse to intervene.
I doubt that misdirected minds will be changed by these facts. As Dr. Samuel Johnson observed, “Prejudice, not being founded on reason, cannot be removed by argument.” But at least, Mr. Bernard, you gave it a try.