Obama: Americans 'Held The Line' Against Election Deniers
Somebody could really do some damage in the next presidential election, Fmr president adds
The results of last week's midterm elections not only turned back a vaunted “red wave,” but they also will serve to protect the nation in the next presidential election come 2024, according to former president Barack Obama.
In the results of last Tuesday's Democrats retained control of the US Senate, and although Republicans will retake a majority in next year's Congress it will be by a razor-thin margin.
Meanwhile, election deniers and those who back Donald Trump's baseless and false “Big Lie” that the 2020 presidential election somehow was stolen by massive Democratic fraud lost by huge numbers, as well, including gubernatorial candidates in Arizona and Pennsylvania, a congressional hopeful in Maryland and the Republican gubernatorial nominee in Arizona.
Obama touched on the issues of elections and election deniers in a Thursday night appearance on The Daily Show with Trevor Noah.
“The interesting thing is, you notice election deniers don’t deny their own election. Funny how that works,” the former president said to laughter from the studio audience. “How many of them actually believe some of the nonsense that circulates versus those who think it is convenient or it is a way to own the libs or a way to send a message or align themselves with Trump? That’s hard to say.
“But what is important is that because of some really concerted efforts in a lot of important states, some of the most egregious, prominent, and potentially dangerous election deniers, they got thumped, they got beat,” Obama added. “Particularly in the secretary of states races and in some cases, governors races, where the next presidential election, you could have somebody who could really do some damage. There, I think we held the line. What it does say more broadly is the fact that, not just here in the United States, but around the world, the fundamental precepts of democracy are being challenged.”
Americans have gotten off course from important and honest debates about policy, Obama said.
“We are not having arguments about policy, but we are having arguments about the rules of the game, which previously, we all agreed to. There was a notion that we run elections, whoever gets the most votes actually wins, the loser concedes, goes back and tries to do better next time,” he said. “And what we have seen now for a whole host of reasons is a creeping sense that if the outcome is not what we want, then we can do whatever we want and say whatever we want in order for us to win. And that is profoundly dangerous.
“As I said, it is not unique to the United States, but when it happens in the United States, it sends a signal all around the world that weakens democracy, and that is why I think us getting our house in order is so important,” the former president added.
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