US on 'terrifyingly high-stakes ride' to potential Trump reelection: ex-labor secretary

06 September 2023

Former United States Labor Secretary Robert Reich warned in a Guardian opinion column on Wednesday that as autumn approaches, 2024 presidential election polls show a "too close for comfort" race between incumbent President Joe Biden and the Republican Party's quadrupedally-criminally indicted frontrunner, ex-President Donald Trump.

Reich begins with a recap of how he sees the GOP as working tirelessly to re-install Trump.

"This particular week after Labor Day also marks the start of a terrifyingly high-stakes ride for America – five months until the beginning of the primaries, eight until Donald Trump's trial for seeking to overturn the 2020 election, 10 until the Republican convention in which Trump is almost certain to be nominated, 14 until the presidential election of 2024," Reich writes. "All the while, Trump and House Republicans will be throwing up every conceivable distraction and roadblock – threatening to or actually closing the government, impeaching Joe Biden, and holding more hearings on 'woke capitalism, Hunter Biden, the alleged 'weaponization' of the justice department and the FBI."

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Given the aforementioned, Reich continues, "At this point, the polls are too close for comfort. Tuesday's Wall Street Journalpoll shows Biden tied with Trump in a hypothetical general election (not factoring a third-party candidacy from No Labels or Cornel West), and bogged down with an anemic 39% approval rating. Some of this is tied to Biden's age, but some also seems to be the result of a remarkable unawareness of Biden's policies. By a slim margin, more Americans disapprove than approve of Biden's efforts to improve the nation's infrastructure, and more believe that Trump 'has a vision for the future' than they believe Biden does."

Reich urges citizens to become civilly engaged, and offers a list of recommendations for how Americans can protect their republic.

"Do everything within your power to ensure that Donald Trump is not re-elected president," Reich commands. "Do not succumb to the tempting anesthesia of complacency or cynicism," Reich suggests, adding, "Even if you cannot take much time out of your normal life for direct politics, you will need to organize, mobilize and energize your friends, colleagues and neighbors."

Reich also stresses the need to "counter lies with truth. When you hear someone repeating a Trump Republican lie, correct it. This will require that you prepare yourself with facts, logic, analysis and sources."

Hate, bigotry, and violence, Reich says, carry their own dangers that can only be overcome through democratic participation. That includes holding healthy debates with people who hold opposing viewpoints.

"Don't gripe, whine, wring your hands and kvetch with other progressives about how awful Trump and his Republican enablers are," Reich states. "Don't snivel over or criticize Biden and the Democrats for failing to communicate more effectively. None of this will get you anything except an upset stomach or worse."

Most importantly, Reich concludes, "Organize people who don't normally vote to vote for Biden. Mobilize get-out-the-vote efforts in your community. Get young people involved," because "the survival of American democracy during one of the greatest stress tests it has had to endure, organized by one of the worst demagogues in American history."

Reich's editorial is available at this link.

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