The world’s strongest democracy is being tested, again • Missouri Independent

A lot is riding on the outcome of this presidential election. Ultimately, it will also determine how Americans will feel about their democracy — how well it works or doesn’t work when its fundamental precept, the right and act of voting, is tested.

What has occurred presents many opportunities to teach, to learn, to improve, to correct and to strengthen our collective resolve.

However, these are not necessarily obvious opportunities in the minds of many.

Many voters, no doubt, are feeling frustrated, disenchanted and disenfranchised because of the unknown status of their vote and even angry at what could turn out to be a drawn-out process which could leave a bitter taste in the mouths of many, irrespective of the outcome.

We all would like to think that by the end of the night or within the next few days we will have a final tally of votes in every state, and we will know who is our president-elect.

We are all eager to get back to a national sense of normalcy, accept whoever is the victor, put aside the divisive aspects of our partisanship and begin to work together for the greater good of the country and its citizenry.

Maybe we could even have a normal holiday season, capping it off with the anticipation of an invigorating January presidential inauguration ceremony that will inspire our patriotic verve and resolve and once again kindle within us thoughts of what our country can continue to become.

Whether we get that sense of satisfaction on Election Day or a few days after, we all, as American citizens, should be confident that a sense of satisfaction will ultimately come.

Our democracy is strong enough to pass this test and will be better for it.

In many ways, what has happened during this election cycle can be perceived as the greatest peacetime shot in the arm, for democracy, in a long time. Usually, a country’s sense of patriotism and collective verve is felt strongest when it is called into war.

Perhaps this is an internal war, of sorts, of the people’s will.

Irrespective of how we might feel about the count, recount and other counts of the votes in contested states or other states that may be brought into the fray before it is all said and done, there are a few conclusions that are irrefutable:

• It is clear that each individual vote does and can make a difference in the determination of both the impact of the electoral college, the popular vote, and therefore, ultimately who becomes President of the United States.
• The outcome of this election presents an excellent opportunity to teach a great civic lesson to our children on how our democracy works and the importance of their participatory and vigilant roles in it.
• Non-voters and unregistered citizens have major impact on the outcome of elections, too. One is right to think if more nonvoters and unregistered citizens had voted, perhaps the outcome would have been more definitive, with one candidate clearly becoming the winner.
• Whether the new Congress rises to the occasion or not, this election provides one of the greatest reasons ever to revisit how elections are held in this country from the role of the electoral college to which day elections should be held and how votes should be cast and counted.

But, unfortunately, we know that there will be those who will use the outcome of this election as an opportunity to become even more cynical about the political process. They will continue to undermine the democratic process by whatever means they feel will be effective. This will continue to have negative consequences.

Many citizens may not see the value in their vote.

Many will chose to believe that there is more manipulation and mischief than there actually is.

Many will use the occasion to become even more entrenched in their partisan leanings, feeding on the most destructive stereotypical views to achieve a psychological safe political place.

In the end, let’s hope that reason and cooler heads will prevail, and cynicism and partisan bickering will be held in check by the tenets of a democracy that have withstood greater tests than this.

Above all, let us hope the flames of democracy will burn more brilliantly and brighter than ever, for more Americans than ever.

What other outcome could there be for the strongest democracy in the world?

None other.

This commentary is from the author’s new book, USING MY WORD POWER: Advocating for a More Civilized Society, Book II: Patriotism and Politics (October 2024). It first appeared as a column in The Kansas City Star on Nov. 14, 2000, following the Bush-Gore election. There are minor edits for this printing).