Special to USAfrica magazine (Houston) and USAfricaonline.com
By Ken Okorie, an attorney and
Editorial Board member of USAfrica.
Nearly a week after Americans voted in midterm elections on Tuesday, November 8, 2022, control of the House of Representatives, the lower chamber that originates most legislation, remains in question. And it was not until Saturday, November 13, 5 days after voters had their say, that control of the Senate was decided in favor of Democrats, with a slim majority is 51 to 49. Thus, Democrats retain control of the Senate, with Vice President Pamela Harris as Senate Chair with tie-breaking vote.
The biggest culprits in the election delay are also among the smaller of America’s 50 states. Nevada and Arizona stand out. They crawled along with California that is by no means small. US Census Bureau places the latest population of Nevada and Arizona at 3.4 million and 7.4 million, respectively. Texas has 29.53 million population of which 4.72 million is in Harris County. Why is Harris County (indeed Texas) able to complete and announce all voting results about 9 pm on election night, but Arizona and Nevada need a week? Something is amiss!
It deserves noting that the slow-paced result states have some of the most vocal skeptics on election validity. They present among the most infected by a new political disease personified by Donald Trump. I call it “Trumpism”. Following the November 2020 elections, it took Maricopa County in Arizona three months until February 23, 2021, to confirm through legislatively mandated hand recounts, that no evidence of voter fraud was found.
Begging for answer is why it takes so long to know the results of American elections, especially in these smaller states? Why is a country that sends men to the moon and has peered furthest and deepest into the solar system unable to count and report election results timely?
It was not always this way. Twenty to thirty years ago, America knew who was elected and which party had power within an hour or two after the polls closed. Seasoned media houses, like CBS, NBC and ABC nailed it to a science, able to call elections based on election day opinion polling; their projections rarely missed! I recall a row in November 1984, after CBS‘ Dan Rather projected Reagan victory about 8 pm Eastern Time; that was after only about 1% of the votes were reported and polls were still open and ongoing on the West Coast. That call was branded premature and some alleged it truncated or preempted voting by those yet to cast.
The current emerging phenomenon leaves the nation unclear as to the power profile in Washington, as to who the President will work with, and who will kick against him? This has gone on for a week. It does not look good for the United States. Earlier today, President Biden met with his Chinese counterpart, Zhi Jing Pin at the ASEAN conference in Bali, Indonesia. Unsettled Washington power profile could influence such meeting in significant ways.
Beyond uncertainty as to the power profile in Washington, delayed election results have broader and more consequential ramifications, some of which border on national security, even potentially dangerous. Mistrust and distrust are growing among the major world powers, and global alliances are continually shifting. Minor misread of power shift could lead to serious or unintended miscalculations. Bad decisions can ensue. China’s overtures toward Taiwan, reckless missile traffic in the Korean Peninsula, Putin’s war and ambitions in Eastern Europe, are significant examples. Uncertainties also exist in other regions and contexts, all of which demand greater diligence and certainty at all times as to where power resides in Washington. It is reassurance that cannot be presumed.
Perhaps coincidental, but some of the biggest culprits in delayed election results are also among the smaller states. Nevada and Arizona stand out. Recent US Census Bureau statistics place the populations of these two states at 3.4 million and 7.4 million, respectively. To put it in context, Harris County in Texas is home to 4.72 million of Texas’ 29.53 million population. Generally, Harris County (indeed all Texas) reported all votes by 9 pm on election night. Why are Arizona and Nevada unable?
Election slow pacers are home to some of a notorious den of vocal election deniers and skeptics. They seem most infected by the new disease I call “Trumpitis”. President Biden framed their antics a threat to America’s democracy. There is good reason to justify such characterization.
Following the November 2020 elections, it took Maricopa County in Arizona three months until February 23, 2021, to confirm through legislatively mandated hand recounts that there was zero evidence of voter fraud. Subsequent redundant physical and mechanized audits did not deviate from this finding. This political season, Arizona is back into view.
Going into the 2022 midterm election season, attention once again returned to Arizona. Traditionally a swing state where independents deny extremists of either party free reign, Trumpitis appears to be gaining stronger foothold. Veteran news anchor at KSAZ-TV-turned Republican gubernatorial candidate, Kerry Lake, refused to affirm belief in the electoral system. She repeatedly maintained in campaign interviews that she would accept election results only if she won and would not concede if she lost. This is classic Trumpism. It is extremism that debuted with Donald Trump.
Beyond presenting an appearance of clumsiness and a disappearing elegance of America’s democratic traditions, election denial is disingenuous disposition that gravely depreciates America’s stature as the poster child of modern democracy. It makes nonsense of America’s exceptionalism, so-called.
If similar delay (rather clumsiness) in determining the outcome of elections happened in a third world or developing country, American media would be buzzing with reprehensible speculations groomed in a superiority complex.
More importantly, this emerging phenomenon raises graver questions about the residual caustic and destabilizing depth of Trumpian politics. Could this become America’s new settled norm that will linger for the foreseeable future? The question is cogent and timely, but has no probable immediate answers.
Be it as it may, an important lesson is emerging of widespread voter defiance of Trumpism that cannot be ignored. That lesson is about Donald Trump. Six years of Trumpian politics, has rendered the Republican Party too traumatized, frightened and intimidated by Trump’s peering Big Daddy lens. Senators and Congressmen alike are too insecure to be rational. Afraid for their political lives, none could condemn, much less speak against, an overbearing, roaring Trump. One word against Trump was invitation for abuse and insults from Trump personally and targeted anger from his unruly supporters.
Going into the 2022 mid-term elections, Trump was the Big Daddy whose frightening presence predominated and preoccupied the consciousness of Republicans. His endorsement or praise-singing almost translated to automatic passport to his supporting aspirants. Even Senate Leader Mitch McConnel and shadow House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, all saw Hobson’s choice and said only what soothed Trump and did not invite his rage. Few exceptions like Wyoming’s Rep. Liz Chaney and Illinois’ Adam Kinzinger, became targets of lashing out from Trump. It was Republicans’ dreaded omen with potential career jeopardizing consequences. Very few Republicans the courage to speak up even against the Trump-engineered January 6, 2021 insurrection at the Capitol, whose goal was to disrupt the constitutional transfer of power. Those who momentarily did, like Kevin McCarthy and leader McConnel, very quickly swallowed back their own words and reversed course.
Now that 2022 elections are over, will the cloud clear? The electorate’s message was clear and widespread in rejecting Trumpian extremism. So-called unpopularity of President Biden that was touted by pundits did not cloak popular displeasure with Trumpian extremism.
The media did not help matters. Either out of fear or miscalculation, pundits and talking heads uniformly handed the 2022 elections to Trump and Republicans long before the first ballot was cast. They prognosticated on hyped historical precepts that mid-term election is referendum on the sitting president whose party usually transfers power to the opposition. This time around, it did not happen, history was defied. I believe the American voter was far smarter and much wiser than was credited, and saw beyond the green leaves of Washington, DC. Voters understood the bad news that Trump is and rejected every urge to transfer focus onto Biden’s policies.
Having missed the mark in such evident way, the question now emerges: At what point will the media show contrition, some humility, and acknowledge it got it all wrong?
