2 weeks Ago
With the presidential election less than two weeks away, America has come to a turning point, a watershed, an inescapable fork in the road. As one of my favorite philosophers, Yogi Berra, allegedly counseled, “When you come to a fork in the road, take it.” Kermit and Fozzie Bear echoed his advice in The Muppet Movie (1979) when they encounter a huge, literal fork on their road to Hollywood.
Why would anyone question the wisdom of such cultural giants? But Yogi didn’t provide instructions on choosing one fork over another. Americans are deeply split over the choice, with both sides warning that the opponent’s path is a slippery slope, leading to a precipitous drop-off, then diving into a nightmarish abyss. In eight years as a (mostly) political columnist, I’ve tried to resist following the example of a different, mythical character: Chicken Little.
She is struck on the head by a falling acorn, convinces herself and some friends that it was a piece of the sky, and without doing further research, runs down the road shouting, “The sky is falling! The sky is falling!” But the sky doesn’t fall, and she and her gullible friends are eaten by a villainous fox who offers them a shortcut on their path. They obviously took the wrong fork. During the last decade, I’ve followed national politics more closely than ever, and often felt bombarded by actions, statements, and lies that I might have interpreted as pieces of a falling sky, or a failing republic.
But unlike Chicken Little, I have done further research to support my conclusions. If it was practical, I would run down the road shouting, “The sky could fall! Our republic is in danger!” I believe that we can use candidates’ current words and previous actions to predict what they will do in the future. As president, Donald Trump often violated the specifics of the Constitution or smashed norms which had allowed a delicate balance of power to build the strongest economy and nation on earth.
For example, he withheld congressionally promised foreign aid to pressure Ukraine’s leader into helping with his private agenda, suggested that Georgia’s attorney general could “find” enough votes to overturn the state’s election; and attempted to use military force against peaceful protesters. What saved our country from becoming an authoritarian regime then? He had chosen experienced Republican officials to work in his administration, and many rebelled at his unconstitutional ways, including Vice President Mike Pence. Many resigned or were banished, creating unprecedented turnover in his “A Team” advisors and cabinet.
Amid this dysfunction, his greatest achievement was passing tax cuts for the richest Americans which will balloon the federal deficit by about $1-2 trillion. Making my Chicken Little fears worse is the fact that MAGA Republicans, including the authors of the “death to the federal government” Project 2025, seem to have adjusted their approach after his first term. Trump still says he will use the Department of Justice and the military as his personal, Mafia-style enforcers, but this time he won’t be blocked by principled, nonpartisan civil servants.
Trump’s inner circle now demands complete and unquestioning loyalty in exchange for a seat at the table of federal power, including the VP and Supreme Court nominees. Article continues after..
. Cross|Word Flipart Typeshift SpellTower Really Bad Chess I fear that those who rioted on January 6, 2020 learned some lessons as well. What would have happened if trained militia members had arrived at Trump’s rally heavily armed and ready to fight to the death for their leader? For my entire life, I’ve considered our Constitution and the peaceful transfer of power to be as reliable as the sun rising and setting.
As this bedrock faith has been threatened, my love for America has driven me to search for the light at the end of the tunnel, the silver lining in some very dark clouds. I’ve prayed that Abraham Lincoln’s “better angels” would lift our country towards its utopian promise, rather than succumb to a historically predictable dissolution into murderous factions. Certainly, Kamala Harris has made some questionable decisions during decades of public service.
But her election would at least ensure that the American Constitution would survive. My guiding light, Yogi Berra, also noted that “The future ain’t what it used to be.” The future under Donald Trump certainly wouldn’t be what it used to be, when Americans could proudly proclaim themselves the greatest nation on earth, a strong and peaceful democracy which proposes that disparate groups can live together with respect, and pursue the resounding dream of liberty and justice for all.
Allen Woods is a freelance writer, author of the Revolutionary-era historical fiction novel “The Sword and Scabbard,” and Greenfield resident. His column appears regularly on a Saturday. Comments are welcome here or at awoods2846@gmail.
com..
