Dem
51
GOP
49
This is a story that just barely qualifies as news. It's important, which is why we are writing it up, but it's so predictable that it's a "dog bites man" kind of story. In fact, it's so predictable, it's more like a "dog is given piece of bacon, decides to eat it" kind of story. We would have been happy to bet our entire net worth, at least one or two limbs, our diplomas, and just about any other asset that we could accurately predict this "news."
So what is this entirely predictable story? Well, Donald Trump did an interview with the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel and would asked if he would accept the election results. His response: "If everything's honest, I'd gladly accept the results. If it's not, you have to fight for the right of the country... I'd be doing a disservice to the country if I said otherwise."
In the novel Catch-22, which happens to be (Z)'s favorite work of fiction, the title comes from a paradox that confronts the soldiers serving in the U.S. Army during World War II (specifically, in the case of the book, Italy). It is army policy that any soldier who is insane is not fit to serve, and will be relieved from duty; all they have to do is ask for an evaluation. However, anyone who is self-aware enough to ask for an evaluation is deemed to be not insane. Ipso facto, while you CAN be discharged on the basis of insanity, there's no actual way to be deemed insane and thus to trigger the discharge. That's the Catch-22 (actually, that's the biggest one and the one that inspired the title; there are also others in the book).
Anyhow, for the third election in a row, Trump has set up his own, political Catch-22. Trump claims he will accept the election result, if it is honest. This ostensibly fools some people into believing he is being fair and reasonable. However, the "proof" of an honest election for him is a Trump victory. So, while he theoretically would accept an "honest" Biden victory, there is no satisfactory proof, for him and his acolytes, of an honest Biden win. So, there is no actual circumstance in which he will accept a Biden win. Catch-22!
What this means is that for the third or fourth time this week, Trump has reminded us exactly who he is. If Joe Biden wins again, then we're going to see a repeat of what happened in 2020. It's as certain as the sun rising in the east. Or the dog eating the bacon.
One thing to keep in mind is that Jan. 6, 2025 will not be like Jan. 6, 2021. First, President of the Senate Kamala Harris knows exactly what she is supposed to do and will do it unfailingly. Second, the Electoral Count Act has been updated, specifiying the counting procedure in more detail. Third, Joe Biden is fully aware of what could happen and will probably have the phone number of the commander of the National Guard on speed dial. The Guard itself will be far more prepared this time than last time. If violent demonstrators show up, they will face thousands of fully armed troops in riot gear with helicopters, tear gas, pepper spray, flash bangs, and more equipment available if the commander requires them. (Z)