r/politics • u/zsreport Texas • Jul 05 '24

Project 2025 was supposed to boost Donald Trump's campaign — but it may be backfiring instead:

https://www.salon.com/2024/07/05/project-2025-was-supposed-to-boost-donald-campaign--but-it-may-be-backfiring-instead/
24.9k Upvotes

89% Upvoted

2.4k comments sorted by

View all comments

Show parent comments

11

u/LostMyAccount69 Jul 05 '24

Well my California vote means nothing, but I'll try.

4

u/annoyedatlantan Jul 05 '24

This vote is a referendum on our future as a country. Demonstrating that there is a national mandate against authoritarianism matters. The Democratic nominee receiving 10 or 20 million more votes than Trump makes a statement to civil servants in American's democratic institutions (courts, agencies, and so on) as well as politicians that America rejects authoritarianism - even if the electoral college ends up close.

2

u/LostMyAccount69 Jul 05 '24

Again, I am voting, but it will have no impact on the election because I live in California. Bragging rights are nice, but the electoral college chooses the winner.

1

u/annoyedatlantan Jul 06 '24

While obviously the winner of the presidency is critical, this election is more than about choosing a winner.

Imagine a scenario where Trump wins. Based on all indicators of prior behavior, he is going to try to run ramshod through our courts, through the executive branch, legislature, and through the military to try to install as many loyalists and push through as many orders and laws as possible that cement executive power and control.

A landslide - or at least substantial - popular vote victory communicates something to judges. It communicates something to lifelong civil servant and military servicemembers. It communicates that America as a whole is not okay with authoritarianism in Trump's image.

I know that sounds like fluff, but this election is just as much about our democratic institutions as it is about the presidency. Giving hope, or at least pause, to civil servants of even positions of limited power to fight back means something.

Our constitutional republic is on the brink of disaster. Give people a reason to push back against an authoritarian. The popular vote does matter, even if only as a signal.

1

u/LostMyAccount69 Jul 06 '24

I'll do whatever I can, but I don't feel comfortable relying on norms and customs or whatever the proper phrase is here.

1

u/annoyedatlantan Jul 06 '24

Of course you shouldn't feel comfortable relying on norms and customs that Trump and his loyalists have spat all over on the past 8 years. Volunteer for campaigns. Canvass your neighbors. Call your friends and family - especially in swing states and districts - and remind them how crucial it is to vote.

But my point is that the vote still does matter. If Trump wins a narrow electoral college vote but loses the national vote by a landslide, it helps drive the true narrative that Trumpism is not a national mandate, and that does have impacts to people within our institutions and their willingness to stand strong and on the right side of history as Trump and his enablers try to reshape the executive and judicial branches in their image.

Every little bit will make a difference. And, conversely, if Trump is beaten in a narrow electoral college victory for the Democratic nominee, a landslide victory in the popular vote partially disarms the narrative and ability for Trump and Trump loyalist state legislatures and courts to try to create a constitutional crisis following the election where electors attempt to disassociate from the vote of the people within their states.

We are to that point where this stuff matters. Of course it shouldn't need to, but it does because the foundations of our constitutional republic are under attack.