The 2022 election isn’t really about ideology. It’s not about whether the nation should spend trillions on fixing infrastructure or addressing climate change. It’s not about forgiving student loan debt or closing our southern border with Mexico or even abortion rights. The latter is clearly on the minds of many voters. But something much bigger is at stake:
This election and the one coming up in two years will decide whether we really want a democracy.
It’s been said before, but it’s true, and needs to be emphasized.
One large segment of the country appears to have lost its mind. Without any basis, millions of Republicans, including many who hold office or seek one in this election, believe the 2020 election was stolen from the con-man former president. This segment of the country, generally white and angry about every damn thing, accepts lies and crazy conspiracy theories. It is willing to elect the likeminded to office — unqualified men and women who would tear down the foundations of the democracy if they don’t get their way. And they don’t merely disagree with Democrats; they hate them. Hate is the key ingredient to firing up the MAGA.
It’s crazy that we have arrived at this place. According to an analysis by the Washington Post, the majority of Republican midterm candidates have publicly claimed that the 2020 election was stolen.
In a blog post, Baltimore magazine editor Max Weiss offers a logical explanation for this — that is, how so many of our fellow Americans rationalize accepting the dangerous lies of the Trumpified right.
All of which is fascinating. But I don’t see how we change that mindset. Our biggest fear should be that enough of these people get energized to vote and put more awful people into local, state and national office.
The only way to fight this is for level-headed Americans — still the majority — to vote in big numbers and not give a single vote to any Republican who accepts Trump’s lies.
I write from Maryland, where one such wingnut seeks to become governor, succeeding a popular Republican Never Trumper. In this blue state, that man should go down to resounding defeat. Democrat Wes Moore (right) must notch a victory that is huge and decisive or else we are in even bigger trouble than we thought.
Dan Rodricks 
And we need to vote Andy Harris OUT. Vote Democrat for every candidate even if you don’t like some of them ’cause our democracy depends on it. Only way to get back to normalcy is to vote out every Republican for every School Board, every Committee, every Judge, every State and Federal office. All of them.
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Writing this response from Europe, where God knows we’ve got our own raft of problems with mind numbing self-serving idiots in our governments, crippling inflation with more to come and oh yes a war on our very borders, I view what’s going on these days back where I used to call home with real trepidation.
America used to be a beacon of sorts, showing how a democracy could work, messy at best but better than the alternatives by a long chalk however now it is far less an aspiration with senseless violence being the norm’ and overt denial of simple truths commonplace with lying compounding lies from those that lead. I wish voices such as Dan’s could be heard, listened to and his warnings properly headed, otherwise like with the feeble efforts on climate change pretty soon it will be too late to step back.
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Amen…right on!
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I agree with all the comments and interesting to hear from someone who’s left us. I’m 70 years old with family, grandchildren and don’t feel I can move out of the country. If I were 50 I’m sure I would. I’m trying to be positive. Tuesday will show if I’m still resilient! Despite all the people looking for answers, I’ve decided it’s quite simple. Greed and racism were encouraged by 45! There are many other factors, however, I’m sticking with this because thats what I hear. I need to pay less taxes, and I don’t feel sorry for blacks because they never fought for themselves. Yes, he actually said that!
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