81. Thanks to the R’s--and two big lies

I believe that Democrats—and all Americans—should thank the many Republicans serving as state governors, secretaries of state, and election officials who have consistently and sometimes with great difficulty conducted fair elections in Covid times, and then stood by the results of those fair elections when met with derision and lawsuits by President Trump and his followers. We must also thank the many Republican appointed jurists—many of them appointed by the Trump administration—who weighed lawsuits and dismissed them for lack of evidence.

 

In recent days a group of national Republicans rose to defend the nation against the incessant lies of a stolen election. Mitt Romney spoke early and eloquently against Republicans in the House and Senate who wanted to perpetuate the lie of a fraudulent election and Trump victory. 

 

Mitch McConnell, finally, came to accept and declare Biden’s victory, and, in a moment of true heroism, insisted that Congress proceed with the electoral ballot counting on the night on which the Capitol was stormed by Trump-inspired zealots intent on disrupting that count; some may have had an actual coup in mind. 

 

To his credit, Vice President Pence refused Trump’s call to override state electoral votes, and, after being whisked away to safety, returned to preside over the official toll of electoral votes by the states. He and Trump are apparently no longer talking.

 

The motley crew of January insurgents was driven by two major lies perpetrated by President Trump, Rudy Giuliani, and a (rapidly diminishing) number of close associates. The first lie was that the election was “stolen.” In case after case, state and federal courts have affirmed the results of the election declaring Biden-Harris its winner. 

 

The second lie was and is that Covid-19 is fake, or just another flu, or that the numbers and reportage of its toll across the country and the world are all part of some vast conspiracy against President Trump, President Jair Bolsonaro of Brazil and others who have played down its deadly seriousness. 

 

The results of this lie will persist: the thousands of January 6 insurgents, and the Representatives, Senators, and staff members confined for hours as the Capitol was cleared and cleansed, might spread the disease; and millions of Americans, including many health care workers, who are refusing vaccination, will delay the day when the country is sufficiently immune to Covid-19 to stop its spread.

 

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