2020 Election: American Nightmare?

Commentary

But first, the unintended consequences of “sheltering in place”

I had a terrible dream about the upcoming 2020 election that I needed to share. But because, my dear readers, the retelling of my nightmare might cause you angst, apprehension and dread, let me start off with something lighter (or, in this case, heavier).

A friend sent me the following picture depicting the unintended consequences of “sheltering in place.”

Shelter in place. But please: stay out of the fridge!

And now to the nightmare.

In his column in yesterday’s Times, David Leonhardt wrote in part, “But there is another looming crisis, in addition to the recession and the public health crisis, and it’s one that Congress should be taking as seriously as the economy. Our usual methods for conducting elections may not work in November.”

Leonhardt went on to write, “Come November, people may still not be able to gather safely at polling places, and election workers — many of them elderly — may not be able to interact safely with hundreds of people. That’s terribly worrisome. As Seth Masket of the University of Denver has pointed out, elections are an essential institution in a democracy, much as grocery stores are.

Leonhardt’s “worrisome” let to my “nightmare,” which went something like this:

As the coronavirus pandemic went on and on for months, into November, I dreamt that Trump declared another “National Emergency,” but to up the ante named it a “National Catastrophe.” With this National Catastrophe in his pocket, he signed an executive order postponing all elections until some undetermined time in the future, a time determined by Trump alone. He then stayed in power until he deemed, in his infinite wisdom, the National Catastrophe to be over. Over never happened. So as I slowly awoke from this nightmare, the image I saw was Trump “Nero fiddling” while I wondered whether I was too old to “man the barricades.” And in the background the words and music from “Les Miserable” started playing:

Do you hear the people sing?
Singing a song of angry men?
It is the music of a people
Who will not be slaves again…

Was this just a ridiculously silly bad dream. Or, knowing how jealous Trump is of Putin’s and Xi’s ability to extend their terms in office against all logic, would this be the device he needs? Could this happen? And, if it does, who will stop him? Lindsay Graham? Kevin McCarthy? Devin Nunes? William Barr? Jean Valjean?

Of course, no worries, this will never happen!

Just like Donald John Trump could never become President of the United States.

Yeah, I know. One more reason not to stay out of the fridge. Sorry.