Trump Wins When We Hate
Over the past ten days since the debate between Donald Trump and President Joe Biden, I have paused a good bit to reflect on my own responses and the responses of so many during this incredibly important political moment.
I have watched people I respect and who are well-intentioned publicly call for Biden to step back and be replaced as the Democratic nominee. They care deeply about our democracy and others and believe the only way to defeat Trump is with another person carrying the banner.
I have also watched other people I also respect and are well-intentioned say we must stand by Biden and not switch out the nominee in this moment. As with their opposites, they too care deeply about our democracy and other citizens and believe the only way to defeat Trump is by lining up and sticking with Biden.
Since the debate performance and the interview on ABC News, I have held the position that I wanted to give Biden the grace and space to self-reflect and make his decision. I have simultaneously stated the facts showing Biden’s support has fallen and enthusiasm for him as nominee has dropped and that as of today Trump is favored to win the election.
After giving Biden the space to make a decision, I now want to say in my opinion the best path to defeat Trump in this moment is for Biden to step back as nominee and for all of us to unify behind Vice-President Harris. I believe without that move this election will not be a referendum on Trump but a referendum on Biden and that is a losing dynamic.
I get how people can come to a different conclusion from mine at this time and I also believe all of us who want to preserve our democracy are good and well-intentioned folks regardless of where we come down on this crucial decision. But what I find most disappointing and concerning is the devolution of the political discourse among the pro-democracy coalition. And in that regard Trump wins regardless of the election result.
Trump and his crass confederacy of sycophantic political officials wins when we begin to treat each other as enemies.
Trump wins when we personalize debates, and resort to name-calling, among those of us who stood tall in confronting the rising autocracy in America even when our opinions might differ in this important decision to be made by President Biden.
Trump wins when we question the intentions and heart of people who have stood together for the last nearly ten years. He wins when we are no longer united with arms locked together and division becomes more common.
When we sit in our fears, emotionally lash out, and forget that love is what connects us (love of one another and love of our constitutional democracy), Trump wins.
When we put protection of our ego over our love of country, we aren’t open to new paths thus closing ourselves off to being servant leaders, Trump wins.
When cruelty surfaces, when compassion dries up, and when we no longer see the dignity and decency in one another, Trump wins.
Each day I can get better at this because I fall down quite a bit, and I hope that President Biden makes the best decision, accepting reality of our current political situation with open eyes, putting our democracy and our common good ahead of anything else.
If we don’t see each other in a compassionate light and be open to differing viewpoints even as we serve on the same team, and not attack one another, then Trump has already won.
Today is the birthday of the poet June Jordan, born in Harlem in 1936, who said years ago, “We are the ones we have been waiting for.” Regardless of what happens with Biden or Trump, we must remember this and that any positive change in the world comes from the goodness of each of us and the decency we show one another.
