What will happen when a significant portion of the electorate believes that a free and fair election is no longer possible because the system is permanently rigged to keep the ruling party in power?
As a tumultuous 2021 draws to a close, it is interesting to note how the controversies and crises that have defined the political landscape in the United States have further deepened the partisan divide.
The governmental response to the COVID-19 pandemic has become a largely Left-Right issue, with constant fear-mongering and governmental mandates on vaccines, testing, and masks pushed largely by Democratic government officials and supported—sheeplike—by Democratic constituencies. Republican officials who mostly resisted the over-hyped hysteria and draconian measures were roundly vilified, but have ultimately been vindicated in their approach of balancing common-sense measures to stem the worst effects of COVID-19 with policies designed to protect the economic, social, and mental wellbeing of their constituents.
The Biden Administration’s disastrous policies toward such issues as illegal immigration, the Afghanistan withdrawal, U.S. energy independence, and the economy have led to a massive loss of support from Republicans and independents, but most polls indicate that upwards of three-quarters of Democrats still approve or strongly approve of Biden’s job performance. A critical problem for Democrats, however, is that elections cannot be won on the basis of these loyal Democratic voters alone.
Although Biden entered office with a Democratic majority in both houses of Congress, it was the thinnest of majorities. And while Democrats and the media continue to make much of the 81 million votes Biden is said to have received in the 2020 election, the continuing controversies about electoral integrity undermine any supposed mandate the Democrats try to claim for their radical agenda.
That has not stopped Biden and the Democrat-controlled Congress from pushing forward—usually unsuccessfully—on legislation designed to bring about the Left’s priorities in everything from amnesty for illegals to creating an ever-larger, permanent class of Americans dependent on government largess. There are signs that among some traditional Democratic constituencies support for these policies is weakening. This is especially true in the case of minority voters who appear to be voting less and less as reliable constituencies for the Democratic Party and more and more as independent consumers of their own interests; interests which often do not align with the priorities of the left-wing of the Democratic Party.
Despite the overwhelming advantage that the Democratic Party enjoys from most of the mainstream media and social media platforms, it has been unable to persuade a majority of Americans to endorse climate change, systemic racism, or widespread police brutality as major concerns. Yet Democrats are stuck on policies designed to address these and similar issues. Occasional voices from moderate Democrats warning that this stubborn policy recalcitrance is likely to lead to massive Democratic electoral losses go largely unheeded.