November 1, 2016

By Rich Bodee

Jokingly, but with some seriousness attached, I ask: What will the world be like on Nov. 9?  

Will it be like Y2K with constant fear mongering? Or maybe there will be a virus like Ebola or Zika that will turn everyone in the U.S. into zombies and the apocalypse will begin? Oh but don’t worry, because Woody Harrelson will guide you and the remaining groups of rag-tag survivors to find the much coveted Twinkie factory, stumbling upon trucks filled with a sea of coconut-flavored snowballs. 

Much to the dismay of a certain YouTube commenter, the movie “Zombieland” will not become America’s new reality on Nov. 9. Sorry to disappoint you.

John Adams once said, “Remember, democracy never lasts long. It soon wastes, exhausts, and murders itself. There has never been a democracy yet that did not commit suicide.” 

Those are pretty bold words but, outside of a fictional story, I think Adams’ rationale is outdated based on how far we have come as a country since the late 1700s. Still, the question remains. What will happen in the days after American voters decide who will be our next president?

 Well, let’s go over what we know right now.

In the third debate, we learned that Donald Trump, if he is defeated, may or may not concede? I ask that in the form of a question because Trump said he would “tell [us] at the time” and “leave us in suspense.” I’m sorry, what? No, your ears weren’t filled with wax. You heard that right. Donald Trump may not concede in a presidential election. By the way, a concession is a symbolic gesture to display a peaceful shift in power.

As you could’ve predicted, political correspondents on almost every news network had a field day with this statement. The Clinton Campaign definitely had a field day with it. Trump’s statement was even dubbed as “un-American” by one news correspondent. 

It brought up the Gore-Bush election in 2000, which was used as an example of where a candidate didn’t concede, although up until this point, that was profoundly different. Gore never came out beforehand and said he might not concede. When he thought he had lost he conceded but took it back shortly after citing the race to be “too close to call.” Gore waited to concede until the Supreme Court came to a ruling.  

Donald Trump is a different case entirely. If there is something fishy or if something seems fishy in terms of the election results would be grounds to challenge. Coming out almost four weeks before the election and say you might not concede is downright ludicrous.

Is it possible that the balance of our political system will change on Nov. 9 and, if so, what will it change to?

Well, we have already seen a shift in debate-style politics. Being a presidential candidate means you can, and in some cases, must, insult your opposing candidate to their face on national television. And before you say I’m being soft, I know that politics is a dirty, gritty environment and sometimes you just have to grind elections out. We are never going to go back to the days of the casual smile and wave while mumbling about our opponent’s faults under our breath. That reality is over. 

In addition, for the first time ever, journalists old and young alike are concerned that a presidential candidate may try and control our freedom of speech by saying he would “make it easier to sue people.” Is that even possible? Frankly, I have no idea. It would be up to the court system. It would be easy to answer that question with a simple no, but so much of what we have seen in this election utterly defies logic.

I could go on forever on the dangers of a Clinton presidency as well as the dangers of Trump presidency. They are equally terrifying and should be met with caution and careful consideration. 

 

Following the debate, Jimmy Kimmel said, “If you are still an undecided voter, you shouldn’t be allowed to vote.” Like everyone who watches from home, I laughed at the joke he was making, but in all honesty, it’s plausible to see where some of these undecided voters are coming from. 

Before you vote, think about the future you want. Don’t make your choice based on one issue, look at the entire scope. This election has to be about policy and nothing more. Ask yourself, which candidate’s agenda do you agree with?

We have seen a great deal of surprising revelations, from Hillary Clinton’s emails on Wikileaks and the surprises they contain to Trump’s leaked tapes displaying his comments about women and minority groups. One thing is for sure, no matter who becomes our next president Nov. 8 will be an interesting night and hopefully, the sun rises on Nov. 9.

boderich@my.dom.edu