NYT’s Leonhardt: Democracy in Peril Because Republicans Don’t Accept Losses Like Al Gore

WALLACE Front page above ░░░░░░░░ fold this striking large ░░░░░░░░ Democracy challenged Twin threats ░░░░░░░░ governing ideals put America ░░░░░░░░ uncharted territory From that ░░░░░░░░ piece of reporting by ░░░░░░░░ friend David Leonhardt this ░░░░░░░░ first threat is acute ░░░░░░░░ growing movement inside one ░░░░░░░░ the country s two ░░░░░░░░ parties the Republican Party ░░░░░░░░ refuse to accept defeat ░░░░░░░░ an election The second ░░░░░░░░ to democracy is chronic ░░░░░░░░ also growing the power ░░░░░░░░ set government policy is ░░░░░░░░ increasingly disconnected from public ░░░░░░░░ Joining us now the ░░░░░░░░ of that new piece ░░░░░░░░ York Times senior writer ░░░░░░░░ Leonhardt David thank you ░░░░░░░░ much for being here ░░░░░░░░ just confessed that the ░░░░░░░░ time I picked up ░░░░░░░░ story was online before ░░░░░░░░ paper arrived and I ░░░░░░░░ to read it and ░░░░░░░░ got depressed and so ░░░░░░░░ waited until my paper ░░░░░░░░ in the morning and ░░░░░░░░ read it in the ░░░░░░░░ It s really important ░░░░░░░░ Take me through these ░░░░░░░░ serious blows to our ░░░░░░░░ LEONHARDT Yeah it s ░░░░░░░░ alarming I mean I ░░░░░░░░ of myself as an ░░░░░░░░ optimist I think the ░░░░░░░░ term history of the ░░░░░░░░ States mostly offers reasons ░░░░░░░░ optimism but this is ░░░░░░░░ worrisome So as you ░░░░░░░░ there are basically two ░░░░░░░░ One is the immediate ░░░░░░░░ and in the short ░░░░░░░░ it s the much ░░░░░░░░ worrisome one which is ░░░░░░░░ idea that large numbers ░░░░░░░░ the Republican Party have ░░░░░░░░ that they will not ░░░░░░░░ accept defeat in an ░░░░░░░░ And the reason this ░░░░░░░░ worrisome is that it ░░░░░░░░ the possibility that in ░░░░░░░░ future election potentially as ░░░░░░░░ as the 2022 race ░░░░░░░░ 2024 presidential race Republicans ░░░░░░░░ try to overturn the ░░░░░░░░ the same way Donald ░░░░░░░░ tried and failed in ░░░░░░░░ This is just way ░░░░░░░░ of the norm of ░░░░░░░░ politics in history Al ░░░░░░░░ lost a close disputed ░░░░░░░░ to George Bush and ░░░░░░░░ said okay it s ░░░░░░░░ to move on George ░░░░░░░░ is the president Richard ░░░░░░░░ lost a close and ░░░░░░░░ some circles disputed election ░░░░░░░░ 1960 to John F ░░░░░░░░ And he said okay ░░░░░░░░ lost John F Kennedy ░░░░░░░░ the president We just ░░░░░░░░ t have until very ░░░░░░░░ major figures in parties ░░░░░░░░ or even outright saying ░░░░░░░░ would not accept defeat ░░░░░░░░ second problem is chronic ░░░░░░░░ in some ways it ░░░░░░░░ built into the Constitution ░░░░░░░░ for reasons we can ░░░░░░░░ into if you want ░░░░░░░░ s become just much ░░░░░░░░ problematic now The Democratic ░░░░░░░░ has won seven of ░░░░░░░░ last eight popular vote ░░░░░░░░ the presidential election That ░░░░░░░░ an unprecedented streak No ░░░░░░░░ party has ever done ░░░░░░░░ well Before this the ░░░░░░░░ any party had done ░░░░░░░░ six out of eight ░░░░░░░░ the previous parties that ░░░░░░░░ done so well the ░░░░░░░░ Republicans which won legitimate ░░░░░░░░ the FDR New Deal ░░░░░░░░ Thomas Jefferson s Democrat ░░░░░░░░ the Abe Lincoln Republican ░░░░░░░░ when those parties won ░░░░░░░░ popular vote they got ░░░░░░░░ govern And for a ░░░░░░░░ of reasons basically we ░░░░░░░░ have this disconnect between ░░░░░░░░ popular vote and election ░░░░░░░░ in a way that ░░░░░░░░ have never had before ░░░░░░░░ the past we had ░░░░░░░░ kinds of restrictions on ░░░░░░░░ could vote and who ░░░░░░░░ a citizen Black Americans ░░░░░░░░ excluded Women were excluded ░░░░░░░░ among the people who ░░░░░░░░ vote popular sentiment tended ░░░░░░░░ guide who won elections ░░░░░░░░ now we re seeing ░░░░░░░░ disconnect WALLACE It is ░░░░░░░░ acute and I thought ░░░░░░░░ the Supreme Court when ░░░░░░░░ read that section.”