America is becoming a democracy in name only
The Wall Street Journal on Monday finally voiced the media industry’s biggest fear: for all its promise of drama and conflict, the 2024 election is proving to be remarkably uninteresting.
On the surface, this year’s rematch between Joe Biden and Donald Trump has all the makings of a high-stakes battle for the presidency, with the candidates on track to spend a record $12 billion on political advertising. But voter interest is plunging past historic lows and both Biden and Trump face a sizable swath of disaffected voters within their own parties. If that’s not enough, polls now indicate fewer voters are paying attention to the campaign today than did two months ago — another grim first for American democracy.
Voter disengagement is a clear sign that regular Americans don’t feel served by their current political leaders. It’s easy to understand why most voters take one look at politics and simply change the channel.
Trump is once again embracing the explicit language of Nazi Germany, to the point that a video shared on his Truth Social account this week includes a reference to Hitler’s “unified Reich.” This isn’t even the first time the ex president has cribbed language from Nazi leaders; back in December, Trump accused immigrants of “poisoning the blood of our country” — another bit of unapologetic blood-and-soil rhetoric.
The GOP’s open embrace of its Nazi sympathizer elements has driven not only young people but also long-time Republican voters out of the political process. And who can blame them? It’s tough to be a self-respecting Texas Republican when the state party publicly refused to ban associations with white supremacists and neo-Nazis. For the quarter of conservative voters who find Trump’s Nazi-curiousness a dealbreaker, there’s little incentive to even pay attention.
At times even Trump seems uninterested in building the kind of bombastic and all-consuming media blitz that defined his 2016 and 2020 campaigns. He has spent much of the last month stuck in New York for his criminal trial, and he seems loath to spend his moments of free time on the campaign trail. If Republicans’ presumptive nominee isn’t even interested in campaigning, why should voters care what’s happening on the trail?
There’s also the troubling reality that when voters think about the 2024 election, the prospect of political violence is never far from their minds. Last month the Council on Foreign Relations Center for Preventive Action released a contingency planning memorandum about the importance of preventing “destabilizing” U.S. election violence.
Fears of election violence aren’t contained to elite circles like CFR. Six in 10 Texas voters expect to see post-election violence. So do a majority of Massachusetts voters and a near-majority (49 percent) of voters nationwide. Those voters no longer feel safe participating in the political process, and many have indicated they won’t vote at all for fear of being caught up in potential unrest. A representative democracy where the people no longer feel safe exercising their vote is a representative democracy in name only.
From the increasingly stark divide over Biden’s handling of the Gaza conflict to the growing prevalence of fascist rhetoric on the right, both political parties are now divided between an extreme core and a much larger ring of disaffected voters who have dropped out of the process entirely. History tells us that allowing either extreme to dictate party ideology will result in a disastrous turn away from good government. Unfortunately, neither candidate seems to have a plan to win back the swelling ranks of politically disillusioned Americans.
Our system of government depends on engaged and informed voters casting their ballots for representative leaders. That system is buckling under the nihilism of GOP leaders and ineffectual pushback from the Democrats and exiled Republicans who still believe in democracy. Without a positive reason to believe in our system, near-record numbers of voters are planning to stay home. Is there a leader in either party capable of bringing them back?
Max Burns is a veteran Democratic strategist and founder of Third Degree Strategies.
Date: |
Filter
-
The Only App That Always Wins the Battle for Your Attention
Duolingo taps into the power of streaks and hooks you with perfectly timed nudges. Can its success translate to other companies?The Wall Street Journal - World -
Can the Constitution Reconcile America?
The country’s founding charter was meant to keep us in a state of constant negotiation and dialogue. It should appeal to the left and right.The Wall Street Journal - World -
Ledecky, Dressel and Manuel among names to watch
Katie Ledecky aims for her fourth Olympic berth as Caeleb Dressel and Simone Manuel return, while newcomers Carson Foster and Gretchen Walsh seek their first Olympic team spots.ESPN - Sports -
Assassin's Creed Infinity Gets A New Name
Assassin's Creed Infinity, the working title for the hub that will host new Assassin's Creed games, now has a new name. It's called the Animus hub, and Ubisoft's Marc-Alexis Cote told Game File that 2024's Assassin's Creed Shadows will be the ...GameSpot - Tech -
Confederate names make comeback, triggering lawsuits
A Virginia school district was sued this week after it restored Confederate military names for two buildings, foreshadowing a broader battle that is heating up ahead of the election. The Virginia NAACP sued the school board in Shenandoah County ...The Hill - Politics -
Have We Reached Peak Baby Name?
Tank? Afternoon? Flick? Orca?The New York Times - Lifestyle -
'Manhunt' star: Lincoln's assassination is still a call to protect democracy
One of the thrills of "Manhunt" is watching the wheels turn inside the actor's character's head, and how those wheels then determine what appears on his face: consternation, resignation, outrage.Los Angeles Times - Entertainment -
Rising violence against politicians is an attack on democracy itself | Simon Tisdall
Seemingly random assaults in Britain and other parts of Europe are coming from left and right. The response of Mette Frederiksen, Denmark’s centre-left prime minister, to being physically assaulted in a Copenhagen street was dignified and very ...The Guardian - World -
The Boys Complete Comic Book Series Is Only $18 For A Limited Time
There's a new--and very good!--season of The Boys on TV right now, and in case you're keen to read through the source material, you can get a diabolical deal on the original comic books right now. Over on Humble, the entire run of The Boys is ...GameSpot - Tech -
Brighton's U.S.-born Hurzeler is youngest PL boss
United States-born Fabian Hurzeler has become the youngest permanent head coach in Premier League history, following his appointment to the role at Brighton.ESPN - Sports
More from The Hill
-
Eyeing Trump presidency, conservatives want to delay funding fight
Bullish of former President Trump’s chances of winning back the White House in November, some conservatives are pitching a funding stopgap that would extend into next year rather than expire during a lame duck session when President Biden would ...The Hill - Politics - Donald Trump -
Iran and Sweden to swap prisoners, including convicted war criminal
Iran agreed Saturday to release two Swedish nationals held in Tehran for over two years in exchange for a convicted Iranian war criminal tied to the 1988 mass killing of protestors critical of the Islamic Republic in the capital city. While ...The Hill - Politics - Iran -
Raskin hits Republicans for bowing to 'sugar daddy' Trump after Capitol visit
Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-Md.) criticized his Republican colleagues in Congress Saturday after they met with former President Trump in closed-door meetings earlier this week, calling the positivity around the visit "a scandal and a disgrace." The ...The Hill - Politics - Donald Trump -
Sunday shows preview: Trump sells GOP unity with Capitol visit
Former President Trump made an appearance on Capitol Hill this week, attempting to rally Republican lawmakers during his first time meeting with Congress since the Jan. 6, 2021 riots. Several of his most loyal supporters will make appearances on ...The Hill - Politics - Donald Trump -
America is full of the living dead — and Mississippi is ground zero.
lawmakers in Mississippi and across this nation must finally put people over politics and deliver much-needed policies like Medicaid expansion and increased access to health care to meet the urgency that this crisis demands.The Hill - Politics