And that is a final problem with Decius and Trump. Decius presents the election as a choice of whether we will be ruled by the American people or by an oligarchy. The truth is that we will either have a president elected by Trump supporters or a president elected by Clinton supporters. Whoever wins, it will be the choice of the American people. Whether the next Congress passes amnesty or funds a new deportation force, it will be equally a decision of the American people — to the extent that our electoral system and the vagaries of campaigns ever allow for such clear judgments.
Decius’s identification of Trump with the American people (and his victory with their victory, his defeat with their defeat) reminds me of leftists who used to say that they represented the people even while they were losing elections — especially when they were losing elections. If Trump loses, it will be because he failed to convince the American people. The identification of Trump of (and his constituency) with the rule of the people is deeply corrupting and hopefully will not last.
There is also a little good news. For all his talk of plane crashes, and guns being put to the head, and elections happening but not mattering if Trump loses, I doubt someone as spirited as Decius will give up on our country. If Clinton wins, I expect to see Decius,in some form,arguing for a better politics. If Trump is elected, Decius writes, he will oppose Trump if Trump betrays his supporters. I believe him. If Trump is elected and he sticks by his pledges on judges, and seeks to implement an immigration policy that benefits wage earners, then I will gladly praise Trump. One way or another, as long as Decius doesn’t give up on our country, we will be on the same side soon enough.
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