Messy aftermath of Trump’s election defeat shows US democracy is working, not failing

The doomsayers fail to grasp that American democracy is not so brittle that the behaviour of one president can break it
What Trump is doing is messy but also democracy in its purest form and denying him the right to challenge the result would erode, rather than bolster, democracy

Michael Chugani

Published: 3:30am, 12 Nov 2020

Why you can trust SCMP

Prophets of doom are crawling out of the woodwork to declare the death of American democracy. They cite US President Donald Trump’s refusal to admit that Joe Biden won the election as proof the United States has lost its moral authority to preach democracy to others.

It’s not just US-bashers who are gloating at the messy aftermath of the election. Even respected commentators such as Larry Diamond of Stanford University and David Frum of The Atlantic have used descriptors like “rot” and “broken” to trash the US political system.

I am not in the same league as these experts. They are far more qualified to judge the US political system. All I have as an American is a deep faith in my country’s democracy and a gut feeling that, rather than die, post-election soul-searching will lead to its rejuvenation.

Many who rushed to erect tombstones for American democracy and global leadership have based their case on Trump’s mercurial leadership which has divided the country, alienated allies and fanned racial hatred. They fail to understand that American democracy is not so brittle that the behaviour of one president can break it.

03:58

People on the streets of Beijing react to Biden's US presidential election victory over Trump

Trump’s refusal to concede has provided ample ammunition for US foes like Iran and Venezuela to mock the American political system. The Communist Party mouthpiece People’s Daily tweeted a laughing emoji with the words “haha” in response to Trump’s tweet he won the election. Global Times editor-in-chief Hu Xijin said the US is “in degradation”.

These people can mock Trump all they want, but the real mockery is they don’t have the freedom to mock their own leader in the same way. I would much prefer a president who refuses to admit he lost a free election than someone who makes himself leader for life without any say by the people.

Rather than degradation, the US political system’s separation of powers will eventually leave Trump no choice but to vacate the White House once all the votes are counted, or recounted in some cases, and if all legal challenges show he lost. When that happens, I will serve a big slice of humble pie for those who wrote off American democracy.

Rather than a failure of democracy, what Trump is doing represents democracy in its purest form. Yes, it is messy, it makes the US a laughing stock and it enables people to legitimately wonder if democracy is a spent force when compared to political models such as China’s.

However, democracy in its purest form allows Trump to question the vote count, demand recounts where the winning margins are slim and mount legal challenges. The US system permits all that even though vote counts show he lost. Denying him that right erodes, rather than bolsters, democracy.

02:01

Disbelief among Trump voters in Pennsylvania as Pence says US presidential election ‘ain’t over’

I didn’t vote in the 2016 elections, nor did I vote this time. None of the candidates inspired me in the way Barack Obama did. After Trump won, I supported his tough line against what he considered China’s unfair trade policies, challenging Beijing’s claim to the South China Sea and requiring allies to pay more for their defence.

His handling of the coronavirus pandemic and his loopy behaviour during the election campaign worried me about America’s place in the world with four more years of Trump, though. I credit him for waking up Western democracies to the danger that China and Russia are forces that could undermine democracy, but I fault him for failing to rally allies to his cause.

01:40

US coronavirus: Wisconsin residents queue for hours to get Covid-19 tests as infection rate soars

American democracy is like no other. You have to be an American or have lived in the US to understand it. Outsiders can’t understand why so many Americans refuse to wear face masks to protect themselves from the coronavirus.

They want to protect themselves but want it to be a free choice, even if it means life or death. That’s the true meaning of democracy. American democracy will not die. Rather, it will make authoritarian leaders wonder why and how they can defeat it. They never will.

Michael Chugani is a Hong Kong journalist and TV show host

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