Cowboys and the heart of the matter
It is a mistake to see the US presidential election as a duel between two men. Seeing it as a gunfight between cowboys may satisfy our need to simplify things so that we can understand them, but the election of a US president is all about complexity. The candidates’ character, abilities, aides, achievements and program play an important role in shaping voters’ choice. Evolution and myths – ancient and modern – push us to see the contest as a duel, in which we pick the person who appears strongest, in the hope that he will secure victory for our side. In this scenario, it is enough that Donald Trump appear unflinching, uncompromising, on the attack continually, for this to delight those who wish to impose their will on their rivals through conflict. The storming of the Capitol by Trump supporters is a clear expression of how leader and crowd identify with each other.
This incident shows how Trump’s candidacy is changing the framework of the political contest and public discourse. The former president does not seek only a return to power, but also the destruction of the frameworks that underwrite the smooth functioning of democracy. Just as he does not accept his electoral loss in 2020, he wants to change the way America is governed. Already, “his” Supreme Court has awarded the president unchecked powers, while at the same time undermining the authority of state agencies. Trump aims to fire state employees who do not toe his line, and to mobilize the Department of Justice against his rivals – ostensible retribution for the “unjust” persecution of him over the past few years. And he has the necessary political allies and powerful backers in the shadows to achieve his aim. In other words, this is not a normal election.
Joe Biden and his supporters protest that whereas a Trump victory would be a serious threat to democracy, everyone’s attention is focused on whether the 81-year-old current president would be able to fulfill his duties over the next four years, whereas Trump gets a free ride. But this is precisely what those who worry about a Trump presidency need to do: they must prevent such an outcome at any cost. If this means replacing Biden with another candidate, they have a responsibility to persuade the president to pull out of the running. After Biden’s disastrous debate appearance with Trump on June 27, the president has tried to show that he has the strength to govern. His appearance at the 75th anniversary of NATO’s founding, and the news conference which followed, were marked by two new blunders (he called Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy “Putin”, and his own vice president, Kamala Harris, “Trump”). But he also showed his experience and knowledge of domestic and foreign politics, and that he can hold his own in a difficult public forum. And so, Biden’s latest appearances did not convince his supporters that he must pull out of the race, nor his critics that he can beat Trump.
It does not help that Biden himself presents the process as a duel in which he has the better of his rival. Things are much more complicated. And the importance of this election is greater than the fate of one man. This is the heart of the matter.
