Those who participate in our political system have an obligation to that system. Unfounded attacks on elections and democratic institutions undermine popular support for, and threaten our political system.
Joe Biden and Kamala Harris clearly won the 2020 presidential election. There is no evidence of widespread fraud or malfeasance. Those who baselessly argue otherwise are undermining our democracy.
Our political system succeeds only if the American people believe in it. Baseless attacks on that system undermine the public belief necessary to sustain our system. Our republic is not a rock standing tall on a barren landscape, holding firm against the elements. It did not exist before we invented it, and it cannot continue to exist unless we care for it.
Flaws in our political processes should be documented, highlighted, and addressed. Our system, like the people who designed it and work in it, is not perfect. And like people, the system can improve. For example, voting can be made easier and more secure, legislative districts can be drawn to better reflect people rather than protect political parties, and money continues to distort our politics. All of these challenges, and others, can and should be addressed in ways that move us toward a “more perfect union” and increase confidence in our democracy.
The attacks on the outcome of the 2020 presidential election are groundless. Attempts to reverse the will of the people – be they threatening phone calls from the President or press releases sent by Congressional offices – undermine confidence in our democracy and weaken our political institutions.
Leaders across the ideological spectrum are rightly condemning attacks on the 2020 presidential election. More need to speak up. More leaders, especially Republican leaders, need to condemn the President’s actions and the actions of the members of Congress threatening to vote to overturn the election. Public figures need to call out pundits and others who are enabling the dangerous lie that the 2020 election was anything but fair. Failure to speak out in the face of these attacks weakens the political system in which we are privileged to participate.