A close shave

Biden’s 4.5-point popular vote margin was decisive, although below what Fox polling projected. Pre-election, Republican FBI Director Christopher Wray praised states’ preparations; afterward, Republican Chris Krebs, Cybersecurity Agency head, pronounced the election “the most secure in American history.” Officials in Georgia, Michigan, Wisconsin, Pennsylvania and Arizona, many of them Republicans, stoutly defended their states’ votes. All but one of Trump’s 50+ lawsuits were thrown out of court, often by Trump-appointed judges. The Supreme Court, with its 6-to-3 conservative majority, disdained hearing his case.

Among those now acknowledging Biden’s win are Senate Majority Leader McConnell and Attorney General Barr. When even Trump loyalists like these are forced to admit defeat, you know that the million conspiracy theories about voter fraud are hogwash.

Yet, as of this writing, most surveyed Republicans say “We was robbed!” Why? Because Trump, guilty of over 20,000 documented self-serving lies since 2016, says so? Because right-wing hatemongers and conspiracists have, over the decades, insinuated 100,000 times and declared outright 10,000 times that Democrats are Satanic cannibalistic murderers and commies? I don’t know.

But I do know that a large part of Trump’s base is profoundly dangerous. Thanks to its pressure, 126 GOP lawmakers signed an amicus brief in a suit aimed at simply nullifying millions of votes. Cathy McMorris Rodgers and her cohorts, caving to Trumpites’ unhinged demands, would maim our democracy in order to continue in power a man who would destroy it.

We’ve dodged one bullet. Must we worry about the next?

Brian Keeling

Spokane