If democracy were not hanging in the balance, the recurring smear that Democrats are the radical party would be laughable. As reported by the Aug. 12 Albuquerque Journal, a Trump campaign official, referring to the Democrats, said, “The campaign is seeking to animate its own supporters against ‘radicals.’”
In reality, it is the Republicans who are the radicals. For example, the Republicans are cheering from the sidelines as Trump works to undermine the Postal Service, a federal function enumerated in the Constitution.
Although the evidence shows you are more likely to get struck by lightning than commit mail voter fraud, Trump and the Republicans are attempting to suppress the votes of Democrats by hampering mail delivery based on the false claim that voting by mail will cause massive fraud.
What could be more radical than undermining the Postal Service to steal a presidential election? If this ploy is successful and Trump ekes out a second term, how could a president elected by means of massive voter suppression be considered legitimate?
Destabilizing the Postal Service is only the most recent radical Republican move. It was preceded by concerted attempts to undermine another function enumerated in the Constitution, the decennial Census. Republicans are attempting to ensure a serious undercount in a variety of ways that will deny New Mexico hundreds of millions of dollars in federal funding.
Although promoting the general welfare is explicitly stated in the Constitution, Trump and the Republicans have asked the Supreme Court to strike down the Affordable Care Act while offering nothing but empty promises to replace it. More than 20 million Americans would lose their health care but gain incalculable suffering and financial hardship. This is not only radical but an especially cruel blow during a deadly pandemic.
The Republicans are willing to risk our democratic system of government to hold power. The Republican Party cares about the rich and powerful, not the middle class or those in need. To me, that is the definition of radical, and I’m not laughing.
