Tag Archives: presidential elections

Losing Elections in America

The United States has held presidential elections every four years since 1792, frequently switching the winning party. If your candidate loses in an election, you can reasonably assume you will have another chance to vote on a change in four years.

The hope of change “next time,” happening again and again for over two centuries means we settle down and accept whoever is elected, our choice or not.

Except this year the candidate keeps trying to overturn the election results. Despite the most openly scrutinized election in U.S. history, the loser keeps trying to overturn what the vote decided and what the courts upheld.

The U.S. presidential election has worked year in and year out, in depression and prosperity, in war and peace, not because it’s a perfect system but because it overcomes the human tendency to keep power once gained.

Monarchy passes to the royal heir for the rest of the heir’s life span, whether they are qualified or not or whether most of the citizens desire it or not.

Dictators grab power through guns or violence no matter if their citizens favor them or not. They hold power as long as they own enough weapons or means of intimidation.

Representative rule, regularly accountable, means we have hope. It is risky in the sense that it depends on the losers to accept their loss.

To be wedded to a fallible human, whether Donald Trump or another, rather than the rule of law, sets a dangerous precedent.

Aware in Saudi Arabia, Clueless in America

In Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, in 1992, those of us working at the U.S. consulate watched via television with Saudi citizens as Bill Clinton defeated George H. W. Bush for the presidency. Many U.S. embassies and consulates around the world provide space for local citizens to watch results of major U.S. elections.

The elder Bush, father of later President George W. Bush, was popular in Saudi Arabia, having led a coalition of countries to free neighboring Kuwait in 1991 after Iraq’s conquest of the country and threat to Saudi Arabia. Saudis were disappointed at George H.W. Bush’s defeat. At least one Saudi remarked that the world ought to get a vote in U.S. presidential elections since the U.S. plays an influential role in world affairs.

Citizens of many countries follow the progress of U.S. presidential elections. On the other hand, many Americans appear clueless about events in the rest of the world.

Presidential campaigns lack serious attention to foreign policy issues beyond shallow posturing. Foreign issues don’t play well in Peoria. Yet global events constantly surprise and challenge us, from Pearl Harbor to twenty-first century terrorist attacks.

After World War II, the United States was one of the few democratic nations with its economy intact. Sometimes with crass self interest and at other times with true sacrifice, we accepted leadership in encouraging a world of democracy and justice. We can opt out now if we choose, but leadership may fall to others without those values.