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Us Mid-Term Elections: Is Democracy In Danger?

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By Akerele Christabel

November 7, 2022
4:48 pm
Los Angeles, CA

Every election period divides politicians into two categories. First, those whose ambitions will finally be realized and second, those whose hopes will be crushed. No matter what party a politician belongs to, they will either be the victor or the vanquished. Every election gores someone’s ox. This is why, for some, winning elections has become a do or die affair. They employ every unscrupulous trick in the book to secure their victory. When they lose, they refuse to accept the result and use every avenue to discredit the winner. As a result, the political scene is no longer a group of good men trying to do good work. It is now a wrecked, bullet ridden battleground for enemies to settle scores. According to US President Joe Biden, in a

This is why, for some, winning elections has become a do or die affair. They employ every unscrupulous trick in the book to secure their victory. When they lose, they refuse to accept the result and use every avenue to discredit the winner. As a result, the political scene is no longer a group of good men trying to do good work. It is now a wrecked, bullet ridden battleground for enemies to settle scores.

According to US President Joe Biden, in a speech given at the US Capitol, the country may be on ” a path to chaos” if political candidates continue with electoral conspiracies. Mr. Biden termed these activities to be “unprecedented, unlawful, and un-American”

The United States of America that was a bastion of democracy and freedom was not built on the political ambition of a few. It was founded on the efforts of good men with strong moral character, trying to serve their country. America was built by men who escaped oppression to create a place where all men can live with dignity and pride.

However, history has shown us that when a nation grows rich and powerful, fattened by fame and influence, it forgets its values that were forged in the fire. Therefore, it starts to decay from within.

Beyond initial forecasts, the cost of living in the United States has soared unpredictably in the face of another electoral campaign. In September, inflation hit 8.2%, stunning analysts into disbelief. The implication of this is that citizens will have to pay an extra $8 for every $100 they spend. Without a certain level of income, it will be difficult to survive in the US.

In a feeble attempt to stave off the effects of inflation, the US Federal Reserves announced a 0.75% increase in interest rate.

As the mid-term elections draw near, other pieces of news are beginning to trickle in. A key court in the state of Pennsylvania has ruled that ballots that are improperly dated shall not be counted. This is to discourage negligence on the side of the electoral officers as well as malpractice on the side of the candidates.

This could cancel out vast amounts of votes in tight electoral races. This is considered to be a win for the Republican Party, who filed the case, with whom electoral security has been a rallying cry. It still remains to be seen whether the Republicans filed the case out of sincere concern for the electoral state of the nation or just discharging its duty as the opposition party. The duties of the opposition party have, in recent times, been reduced to finding faults with the ruling party and the system it operates.

Like rival wives in a political household, the Democrats and the Republicans both heckle and fight for support of the people, using any means at their disposals. As is the case in the state of Pennsylvania, as the Democratic Party and the Republicans are engaged in a dogfight. John Fetterman of the Democrats and Mehmet Oz of the Republicans are neck-and-neck in the race for the Senate in that state.

The election due to be held on November 8 could see Joe Biden’s Democratic Party lose control of both chambers of the legislature. In this tug-of-war between the parties in polar directions, the 435 seats of the House of Representatives and the 35 Senate seats are up for grabs. This means that the winner of the majority of seats gets to become the hegemony in the United States. In a democratic nation like this, the majority carries the vote on any matter of the state, effectively making it the voice of democracy. This is why each party will fight tooth and nail for victory at the polls, even resorting to the darker tools of democracy.

This time, two former presidents have returned to the campaign trail. Barack Obama and Donald Trump are dredging up support for their candidates in the Republican and Democratic Parties. With the Republicans looking like the favorites, they have their work cut out for them.

The Reds are exploiting the high consumer prices to get their bid through to the electorate. The impression is that they can do a better job than their blue counterparts.

Another issue is the legalization of abortions in the United States. It has been discovered, in recent years, that a party’s ideology towards abortion is a major bias among female voters. Other crucial issues include education, immigration, democracy, Russo-Ukrainian War, gun violence and a great many others.

No matter who wins the elections, Republican or Democrat, the onus is on the winner to competently take on these issues. Only then can the eventual decline that kills great countries be stopped from doing the same to the USA.