# Is this election really all that apocalyptic? **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Created:** [September 25, 2020, 4:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-election-really-all-that-apocalyptic/921473 "2020-09-25T04:58:30Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Temporary\_Name](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/8c91f0/32.png) [@Temporary\_Name](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Temporary_Name)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2020, 12:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-election-really-all-that-apocalyptic/921473/21 "2020-09-26T00:53:13Z")
> [@Buck\_Godot](#): > > Based on what I hear from my father in law, the election of Biden will usher in a socialst revolution that will make us just like Venezula, where radical antifa militants will burn down the house of anyone who puts up a sign supporting a Republican candidate. While Trump may act a little uncouth, he’s the only one with balls enough to tell it like it is and resist the influence of the big government deep state. At first I thought for sure that my ex-wife must be your wife’s sister, but I guess there are a few of those guys out there. Your FIL is not an architect from Kansas is he? ---
**Author:** ![RTFirefly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c77e96/32.png) [@RTFirefly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTFirefly)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2020, 4:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-election-really-all-that-apocalyptic/921473/22 "2020-09-26T16:17:31Z")
Put me down for ‘yes.’ This one’s for all the marbles. The GOP has been maintaining its hold on power by increasingly undemocratic means. Some are built in, like the Senate and the Electoral College. Others, like gerrymandering and a multiplicity of means of voter suppression, are the GOP’s handiwork. And Trump and his campaign and party are only piling stuff on to that pile, undermining the USPS in an election that’s going to set American records for vote-by-mail, threatening to end the count on election night, no matter how many mail-in ballots remain to be counted, suing states that try to make voting easier, threatening to send in Federal cops to monitor the election and Federal troops to contain the post-election rioting, and generally trying to create a climate of confusion and fear around this election. This is not the approach of a party that believes it can win by majority rule. It’s the actions of a party that believes it has to find ways of maintaining control while only having minority support. And they’re right. In an honest election, they’d be lucky to equal the 2016 popular vote outcome, and only lose by 2% of the vote. Young people, however they may feel about the Democratic Party, overwhelmingly want nothing to do with the Republicans. Our nation is moving away from what the GOP has stood for. It’s only going to get worse for them. If Trump is dislodged from power, I can’t see the GOP winning another Presidential election for decades. And Congress too, assuming the Dems pass laws banning the sort of voter suppression and gerrymandering, at least with respect to Congressional elections, that the GOP relies on. At best, the GOP might regain control of the Senate every now and then. But if Trump holds onto power, the GOP will be able to rig the game far beyond what’s already been done. They’ll be able to maintain their grip on power, despite being in the minority, for a couple of decades probably. So yeah, whichever side wins this election wins a lot more than just this one election. A second Trump inaugural wouldn’t be the end of democracy forever in the U.S. - no authoritarian hangs onto power forever - but given the demographics of this board, many of us won’t live to see the restoration of American democracy if Trump holds on. ---
**Author:** ![Buck\_Godot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/buck_godot/32/6573_2.png) [@Buck\_Godot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Buck_Godot)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2020, 5:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-election-really-all-that-apocalyptic/921473/23 "2020-09-26T17:25:47Z")
Nope different guy. But the scary thing is that he is otherwise an absolutely brilliant guy. He’s the closest thing I’ve seen to a modern Renaissance man, able to do just about anything he puts his mind to, and do it well. Its just that for some reason he really really hates Liberals. Amazingly he likes me alright, but I do everything I can to avoid getting into political discussions with him. I once made the mistake of dismissing the idea that within 20 years Europe would be governed by Sharia Law. It did not go over well. ---
**Author:** ![Trinopus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/2bfe46/32.png) [@Trinopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trinopus)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2020, 6:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-election-really-all-that-apocalyptic/921473/24 "2020-09-26T18:49:50Z")
> [@RTFirefly](#): > > many of us won’t live to see the restoration of American democracy if Trump holds on. Revolt in 2100… ---
**Author:** ![Hari\_Seldon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hari_seldon/32/5173_2.png) [@Hari\_Seldon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hari_Seldon)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2020, 7:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-election-really-all-that-apocalyptic/921473/25 "2020-09-26T19:31:11Z")
I have been voting since 1960 and yes, it really seems to be the most important election in that time. Prediction: If Trump wins, he will stop caring about Covid-19. Not his responsibility. In fact the only thinks he will do is start to enrich himself. ---
**Author:** ![enipla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/54ee81/32.png) [@enipla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/enipla)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2020, 7:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-election-really-all-that-apocalyptic/921473/26 "2020-09-26T19:48:01Z")
> [@Hari\_Seldon](#): > > Prediction: If Trump wins, he will stop caring about Covid-19. Not his responsibility. In fact the only thinks he will do is start to enrich himself. So, no change. ---
**Author:** ![elbows](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/b3f665/32.png) [@elbows](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elbows)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2020, 8:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-election-really-all-that-apocalyptic/921473/27 "2020-09-26T20:14:14Z")
Start? You can’t be serious! I think you mean INCREASE enriching himself. ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2020, 8:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-election-really-all-that-apocalyptic/921473/28 "2020-09-26T20:26:08Z")
> [@Tamerlane](#): > > > [@Temporary\_Name](#): > > > > I no longer have any confidence in the system to stop him. The power brokers will just install him for life then use him as a puppet as they have been doing. > > This is pretty much where I break ranks with the catastrophists. Basically I just don’t believe in a shady cabal of power brokers running things. It’s not that powerful people with authoritarian tendencies don’t exist. It’s just that I don’t think there is anything approaching an organized group operating in lockstep to destroy democracy. > > I also personally doubt Trump will permanently destroy democracy in this country if re-elected\*. I am still convinced that the 2016 election was more important than 2020 because it opened the door to chaos. But he sure as fuck will damage it more and he’s already done more than enough in that regard already. > > So apocalyptic? No, probably not IMHO. Really, really important? I think so. > > \*But never say never, I suppose. The fact that a sizeable cohort of sane people (more than just the usual scattering of nutters concerned Bush or Obama were going to install themselves as dictators-for-life) are concerned about it is worrying enough. There is no “secret cabal.” They’re doing it all out in the open. Every chance that they have gotten to hold Trump to the prior expected norms of conduct, they’ve decided to give him a pass. And they have indicated every intent to continue doing so. It’s right there in their public statements. ---
**Author:** ![Temporary\_Name](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/8c91f0/32.png) [@Temporary\_Name](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Temporary_Name)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2020, 11:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-election-really-all-that-apocalyptic/921473/29 "2020-09-27T23:22:22Z")
> [@Buck\_Godot](#): > > Nope different guy. But the scary thing is that he is otherwise an absolutely brilliant guy. He’s the closest thing I’ve seen to a modern Renaissance man, able to do just about anything he puts his mind to, and do it well. Its just that for some reason he really really hates Liberals. Amazingly he likes me alright, but I do everything I can to avoid getting into political discussions with him. I once made the mistake of dismissing the idea that within 20 years Europe would be governed by Sharia Law. It did not go over well. Oh I know the type, but certainly a different guy. Besides my former FIL, I have an uncle he would get along with great! Now retired from a major aerospace company, he was the best process engineer I ever met (even before that was a specialty). I copied some of his ideas into my own much less technologically advanced industry and gained huge success from it. In many ways perfectly brilliant – but very limited on his view of the world. Not being as wise as you are, I was asked to leave a pool party a few years ago when I arrived and my kid was bothering me so I told him to go tell Papa Lorenzo and Uncle Dean that he donated $20 to Jane Fonda and that I matched it. The kid didn’t even get two steps before we were packing our stuff back up and loading everything back into the car. While we were leaving the wives of Lorenzo and Dean were trying to see if they had enough heart pills between them to last the day. Uncle Lorenzo is less interested in Europe than your FIL (but just as sure they are in decline), but he is sure California and New York will be under Sharia Law in his lifetime. Still, you have to give these guys their credit. They have earned the right to believe whatever they want by their competency (I mean beyond the right every individual has to make their own decisions for themselves). ---
**Author:** ![velomont](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/8491ac/32.png) [@velomont](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/velomont)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2020, 4:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-election-really-all-that-apocalyptic/921473/30 "2020-10-15T16:09:27Z")
For those of us who aren’t Americans I believe that the answer to the question is a solid yes. Trump, deliberately or otherwise, has significantly compromised the international system so deliberately constructed after the end of WW II. If everyone else hops on board and regards everything as transactional then nobody will be able to trust anybody else, even if they’re nominally allies. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2020, 4:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-election-really-all-that-apocalyptic/921473/31 "2020-10-15T16:37:11Z")
> [@elfkin477](#): > > I’m 43 years old. This is the only time since I’ve been alive that one of the candidate’s choices have directly led to the deaths of over 200,000 Americans in less than a year. So…probably it is the most important election in the lifetime of my contemporaries and younger at the very least. My daughter is 30, and this is the first election to really get her attention. She voted and she has been urging her friends to vote. Trump scares the crap out of her. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-this-election-really-all-that-apocalyptic/921473.md?page=1)