This presidential election brings back memories of the Truman-Dewey election. My mother was in a class with a young man from South America who staggered around in a daze for a week after Truman won what was thought to have been a sure bet for Dewey. He kept asking, “Where are the people in the streets? Where are the armies? Why is no one out with guns, insisting on Dewey?” In his world, elections were often won by armed mobs – even after so-called elections. I am deeply grateful that Americans are clinging to the rule of law and to the Constitution. And I pray that the outcome of the election will reinforce both.
Regarding the Constitution, my son pointed out that it is carefully set up so that all elections, including presidential, are state elections. When voting for president, we are actually voting for state electors. For Congress, we vote for state representatives and senators. The writers of the Constitution lived in a world where they were all too aware of the possibility of unlimited power by a ruler that had nationwide power; e.g., a king. So they made sure that the president was responsible to the states, and their individual governments. Truly, this country is the United States of America.
Whether or not it is time to change that structure is another question. But if we choose to change it, we must be aware that it is a change in the basic structure of government in this country. Structural changes tend to produce unintended consequences – both good and bad.
Granite Falls
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