The Economist - USA (2020-11-21)

10 Leaders The EconomistNovember 21st 2020

1

A

lmosttwoweeksafterthevotesthatmadehima one-term

presidentwerecounted,DonaldTrumpisstillclaimingthat

hewon.Inrealitythereisnoroomfordoubt.JoeBidenbeathim

byalmost6mvotes,amassing 306 electoral-collegevotestoMr

Trump’s232.Yetrealityisa strangertoMrTrump,whowascrying

fraudbeforethefirstvotehadbeencast.Hehassincefiredanof-

ficialwhocontradictedhisviewthattheelectionwasstolenand

encouragedhissupporterstoprotestagainsttheresult.

MostRepublicanleadersgoalongwiththepresident.They

includehisattorney-general,BillBarr,whotoldprosecutorsto

investigate“substantial allegations”ofelection fraud;Mitch

McConnell,theSenatemajorityleader,whohaschampionedthe

president’srighttogotocourt;andLindseyGraham,oneofMr

Trump’s staunchest Senate defenders, who

Georgia’ssecretaryofstatesayspressedhimto

excludelegitimateballots.

AssooftenintheTrumppresidency,itis

hardtoknowhowseriouslytotakeallthis.No

coupisunderwayinAmerica.MrTrumpdoes

indeedhavetherighttomountlegalchallenges.

Thecountingandcertifyingofelectionresults

haswithstoodpressurefromabove.Mostofthe

Trumpcampaign’slawsuitshavealreadybeendroppedortossed

outbythecourts.Mr Barr’sprosecutorsexplained thatthey

couldfindnoevidenceofthekindofsystematicfraudthatthe

presidentinsiststookplace.Despiteviolentthreats,Georgia’s

secretaryofstaterefusedtobuckle(seeUnitedStatessection).

Whateverhesaysordoes,MrTrumpwillbeoutonJanuary

20thandMrBidenwillbeinaugurated.Mightignoringhimthus

bethebeststrategy?Somewonderifitmightbebesttoletthe

courtsexplaintoforlornTrumpvotersthattheirmanlost.

YetRepublicanconductisexpediencedressedupasprinci-

ple.LawmakersarecowedbythethreatthatMrTrumpmight

backaprimarychallengeagainst anyonehejudgesdisloyal.

TheythinktheyneedMrTrump’ssupporttowintworun-off

racesinearlyJanuaryinwhichcontroloftheSenateisatstake.

Worse,theirindulgenceofMrTrumpimposesa costonAmerica.

TheeffectofRepublicanleadersagreeingthatperhapsMrTrump

reallydidwindamagesAmerica’sabilitytogovernitself.

AllAmericansshouldwishtheincomingadministrationto

becompetent.Bydelayingthetransition,whichinAmerica’s

spoilssystementailstheappointmentof4,000newofficials—

allofwhommustreceiveclearancesbeforegettingtogripswith

theirnewposts—MrTrumpismakingthatharder.WhenGeorge

W.BushhandedovertoBarackObama,theyhelda jointsession

ofcabinetwhereoutgoingofficialssatwiththeirreplacements

andranthrougha seriesofhypotheticalcrises.TheBidenoffi-

cialswillcomeintoofficewithseveralexistingcrisestohandle,

including the logistics of a vaccinationpro-

grammeforcovid-19inwhichlivesareatstake.

Thepresidentandhisapologistsaredoing

harminanotherway,too.Votershaveelecteda

divided government in Washington, with

DemocratscontrollingtheHouseandthepresi-

dencyandRepublicansfavouritestokeepthe

Senate.Thisrequiresbothpartiestoworkto-

gether,findingcommoninterestswherethey

can.If mostTrumpvoters,encouragedbythelikesofMrMcCon-

nell,havecometobelievethatMrBiden’swinisillegitimate,

whyshouldtheywanttheirrepresentativestoworkwithhim?

Americahashadbitterelectionsbefore,yettheelectoralsys-

temhasalmostalwaysgeneratedloser’sconsent.In 2000 a mi-

norityofGoresupporters(36%)thoughttheresultwasillegiti-

mate;in2016,23%ofClintonvotersthoughtso.In2020,88%of

Trumpvoterscurrentlythinktheresultwasillegitimate.Itisup

totheirelectedofficialstoexplainwhyitwasnot.Thisrequires

morethanwaitingforthecourts,localelectionofficials—orany-

oneelse—tospeakup.FailuretodosodoesnotjustmakeAmeri-

cahardertogovern.It betraysa contemptforthespiritofdemoc-

racyandthusa lackofpatriotism. 7

The art of losing

Accepting a disappointing election result is a vital part of a healthy democracy

American politics

B

ack in february President Donald Trump achieved what

ought to be one of his enduring foreign-policy successes. In

Doha, the capital of Qatar, bearded Taliban, some of whom had

never previously allowed themselves to be photographed, ac-

cepted a peace deal with American envoys. America would with-

draw its troops. In exchange, the Taliban agreed to cease attacks

on foreign troops and to renounce terrorism. They also agreed to

take part in further talks in Doha with the internationally recog-

nised government in Kabul. For the first time in four decades, the

deal held out the prospect of peace for Afghanistan.

Since then, America has kept its side of the bargain. The num-

ber of troops in Afghanistan has fallen from almost 10,000 to less

than half that now. The Taliban have been less consistent. They

have ceased attacks on American troops, but on the battlefield

they continue to press their advantage. October was the bloodi-

est month in over a year for civilians, partly because of a Taliban

attempt to take control of Lashkar Gah, the capital of Helmand

province. That was repelled by American air strikes. In the past

few weeks the militants have seized several more rural districts.

They seem to see the talks in Doha as a chance for the govern-

ment in Kabul to surrender, rather than as a serious negotiation.

Mr Trump was right—and brave—to talk to the Taliban.

Leaving too soon

America risks handing Afghanistan to the Taliban

Afghanistan