News & Ideas  -  Ongoing Threats to Democracy

Early August brought bipartisan evidence that our major political parties are willing to erode democracy if it meets their goals. Both Democrats and Republicans are playing with fire.

The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee ran ads to help Trump loyalist and presidential election denier John Gibbs defeat Michigan Republican Rep. Peter Meijer in the GOP primary. Meijer was one of the few Republicans courageous enough to vote to impeach Donald Trump after the January 6 insurrection. In Pennsylvania, Democrats promoted Republican gubernatorial nominee Doug Mastriano, who was in the US Capitol crowd January 6.

In Dallas, the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) welcomed authoritarian-leaning Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, who just recently declared that Hungary did “not want to become peoples of mixed race,” eliciting worldwide condemnation. Orban’s close ties to Vladimir Putin and promotion of racial purity were no disqualifier.

Such moves from both sides of the aisle threaten democracy, undermining the rule of law and common decency.