Keep Him Away From the White House
The news is covering the presidential election like its one guy who says outrageous things versus another guy who is too old.
No. Both guys are kind of old. But only Donald Trump tried to overthrow the government.
The idea that people would let this guy anywhere near the White House is nuts. It is like your friend had a drunk driving arrest last time he gave your kids a ride. Would you let him drive them again? “Well, my kids didn’t get hurt much when they were in a car crash with him. And he’s so fun to be around!” That’s the decision the country is making.
Lots of political questions are hard. Not this one.
If This is Obvious to You…
Then do something about it! There are many organizations working to preserve democracy in America. Since I am a professor at George Mason University in Fairfax, I’d like to work there. Mason is home to students from all over Virginia, a “purple” state, as well as some from nearby swing states such as Pennsylvania and North Carolina.
If you are affiliated with Mason or live in the area and want to be involved, email me at barryaklinger@comcast.net.
Important Note: I am doing all this political work on my own time, as a private citizen, not as an employee of George Mason University. My statements on behalf of this campaign are my own and do not represent my department or the university.
Can we do anything? Some say that since President Biden is down in the polls, there is no hope. Others say that everything will work out, so there’s nothing to worry about. An honest assessment has to admit that either outcome is possible. People also say that everyone has made up their mind, so there is no one to persuade. Public opinion about Trump has been remarkably stable, but it has still gone up and down by ten points. That’s enough to throw the election from one candidate to the other. Let’s help make it move in Joe Biden’s favor.
If This is Not Obvious to You…
Forget about the noise, the weird dances with Putin, the porn star, the definition of the word “insurrection.” Here is the essence of what is deeply wrong with electing Donald Trump again:
- He lost the 2020 election.
- He repeatedly said (and says) that he really won.
- He called for a “wild” protest in DC for his supporters, including violent groups he befriended.
- He riled them up and sent them to the Capitol. I do not know what he expected to happen, but…
- When Trumpers fought with police and broke into the Capitol, his allies pleaded with him to tell them to leave the Capitol. Instead, for almost three hours, he tried to use the violence to pressure Congress out of declaring Biden the winner.
Donald Trump’s actions were a knife aimed at the heart of democracy. In a democracy, when you lose, you leave. If you can get a mob to keep you in power after losing an election, you are not the president anymore. You are the dictator. By stopping the legally elected president from taking office, you have overthrown the government.
He failed last time. Why would we give him another chance?
If we elect Trump after he tried to overthrow the government, we are telling him he can do anything he wants. Close newspapers? Shoot opposition leaders? The same people who excuse January 6 will think of a way to blame Antifa or Nancy Pelosi for whatever their Great Leader does.
You can check all my statement with a little internet searching, but for the convenience of any readers, I hope to add more information in the future about Trump’s attempted coup.