Democrats have tried to paint themselves as the defenders of democracy and their opponents as the enemies of democracy.
This fevered framing instantly yields absurd results: Democrats are now defending democracy by saying that if they lose, the result is illegitimate.
Today’s self-proclaimed Democracy Defenders are and always have been full of it. You can tell by the fact that they defend Roe v. Wade, which took abortion out of the realm of democracy, and condemn the decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, which restored democracy on this issue.
The Democracy Defenders also defend the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, which was deliberately made immune to democracy.
In other words, “democracy is on the line” is merely a cynical way of saying, “Vote for Democrats.”
Why cynical? It’s cynical because it is used to defend abuses of power and also to suspend the rules of fair play. It’s fine for the news media to side with Biden explicitly because while they normally don’t take sides, they have to side with democracy.
The latest example of Democracy Defenders undermining democracy is the Democrats keeping President Joe Biden on the ballot despite his clear infirmity.
Nobody believes that Biden can be the chief executive and commander in chief for another four-and-a-half years. Very few people believe Biden can handle the job for another two years.
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But Democrats know they have no other good options. However much of a liability is a doddering Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris polls worse. Skipping Harris, the first black woman vice president, would cause a rebellion in part of the base.
So Democrats are placing on the ballot a man they don’t think will actually be the president for four years. Telling people to vote for someone who won’t really serve the term he’s running for is gaming the electoral system, which is normal — but it’s not defending democracy.