James Campbell: Regardless of the eventual result, this election exposes America’s real trouble
What helps keep America’s diverse states united is a deep belief in its constitution. But with one half of the political class now claiming an undecided election already stolen, it shows how much trouble the divided country is really in, writes James Campbell.
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Bill Shorten doesn’t get much of a rap these days — what with losing an election he clearly could have won — but as we watch the horror-show unfolding, Australians should be grateful for the way he behaved last year.
On election night, with thousands of votes uncounted, Shorten stood in front of the Labor faithful and said it was “obvious that Labor will not be able to form the next government and so, in the national interest” he had called Scott Morrison to congratulate him.
The contest, he said, had been toxic at times but now it was over “all of us have a responsibility to respect the result, respect the wishes of the Australian people and to bring our nation together.”
American politicians used to speak like that. John McCain’s concession speech to Barack Obama, was one of the most moving speeches I have ever heard.
In 1960 Richard Nixon knew full well the election had been stolen from him.
But he understood it was not in the national interest to dispute it.
America is a vast republic made up of people who share few ties of history, habit, belief or even language.
What holds it together is the belief in its constitution and the rule of law.
If one half of its political class can’t wait for the result of an election to be declared without shouting it has been stolen, while its other half is increasingly beholden to an ideology that denies the legitimacy of that constitution, then it is in a lot of trouble.
The Democrats and their allies spent the past four years denying the legitimacy of Donald Trump’s victory.
They can hardly complain now if the Republicans spend the next four paying them back in their own coin.