Donald Trump is going to win the 2020 presidential election. Our worst fear, and one that we’ve been holding out hope for it not coming true, ever since November 2016. However, the signs have been piling up, and the writing is on the wall. There are two key ways that Democrats have significantly harmed our chances for this election.
Starting with the topic on everyone’s mind; the Supreme Court seat left open after the passing of Ruth Bader Ginsburg. No matter how much we protest, Republicans are eager to replace a liberal Supreme Court justice. This sense of unification to make a big change is exactly what inspires people to vote. Ginsburg’s death on the bench was tragic, and extremely inconvenient for Democrats. She had time to retire during President Barack Obama’s administration. When he was first elected in 2008, she was 75, well past the age of retirement. Had she done this, Ginsburg could have been replaced with a young and progressive justice nominated by Obama. This lack of foresight gives the Republicans even more zeal for voting this election.
Nothing gets people to vote like fear. Irrational fear? Even better. When a fraction of the Black Lives Matter (BLM) protesters in Minneapolis and Portland turned to rioting, Trump validated the alarm of swing voters with his endorsement of the “law and order” approach. Worried about property loss or the safety of their families, voters who would never agree with Trump on other issues will reluctantly go out to vote for him this year.
Recently on Google, the queries “Is Portland safe” and “Is Portland burning” spiked, showing the kind of coverage these protests against police brutality are getting. Once again, this easily could have been avoided. The expressions “defund the police” and “all cops are bastards (ACAB)” are often accompanied with an addendum along the lines of “oh wait, it doesn’t actually mean that…” Unfortunately, this is not what people’s anxiety tells them. According to Gallup, 67 percent of U.S. adults want police presence to remain the same. With this in mind, voters hearing phrases threatening police reform will go to the political party that promises law and order. Through misplaced phrases and heavily publicized rioting, the Democrats have unintentionally swayed people over to Trump’s side.
It’s important to remember, however, that all is not lost. Just as we thought Hillary Clinton was going to win the 2016 election, we can be wrong again. The most important thing to do now is register to vote, donate to the Biden-Harris campaign, and tell your family and friends to do the same.