Staff Reports
The Colorado Supreme Court may have made a bold move to oust former President Donald Trump from the 2024 election ballot, but his critics are finding themselves in hot water as well. Those who claim to be protectors of democracy seem all too eager to limit the choices of voters in hopes of getting their desired outcomes.
Why booting Trump from the ballot puts 'democracy defenders' on the defensive https://t.co/wkh3yHghpu https://t.co/wkh3yHghpu
— Washington Examiner (@dcexaminer) December 21, 2023
It seems that these self-proclaimed guardians of democratic values are quick to file lawsuits to remove Trump, the leading Republican contender, from state ballots, and they’re also working hard to undermine third-party options. They’re especially targeting centrist group No Labels, but they don’t hesitate to throw shade at left-wing alternatives like Jill Stein and Cornel West as well.
Despite polls consistently showing that most voters want more options than just Biden and Trump, the defenders of democracy seem to be dead set against offering the American people anything other than the same old, same old. But why shouldn’t voters have more choices? Why stick to just two options when there are other candidates who could bring something new to the table?
The reason behind this stubbornness seems to stem from a deep fear among these defenders of democratic norms that Trump might actually win. They dread the idea of Trump securing another term in office and will go to extreme lengths to prevent that from happening. They argue that Trump’s behavior, especially after the 2020 election and the events of January 6, make him such a threat to democracy and the rule of law that drastic actions must be taken to keep him out of power.
However, their argument is far from airtight. Their efforts to block Trump from the presidency began even before the January 6 events. In the lead-up to the 2016 Republican National Convention, Never Trump figures schemed ways to deny Trump the nomination, despite him winning the majority of votes. Additionally, after Trump’s victory over Hillary Clinton, Resistance activists toyed with the idea of using faithless electors to keep him out of the White House. These schemes were without precedent and went against the will of the people.
Furthermore, Democratic actions and strategies have not always been consistent with their supposed concern for democracy. They have at times spent large amounts in midterm elections to boost Republicans who they believed would be easier to defeat in the general election. Additionally, Democrats have even promoted Trump when they thought it would benefit them politically.
Trump’s behavior following the last election was reprehensible, especially in relation to the events of January 6. However, the tactics and questionable maneuvers employed by those seeking to keep him off the ballot are only making it easier for his supporters to rally behind him. To many Republican primary voters, the establishment’s supposed concern for democracy seems to be selective at best, and it appears that the so-called norms only apply when it suits the interests of the Democrats.
