Ɖ Gardịn vy on ɖ YS midtrmz: a têl v tū contests
(Transcription of a Guardian editorial of 6 Nov. 2022)
Ɖz ilex́nz r ci nt jst t ẃt ɖ prezidnt cn aćiv in ɖ nxt tū yirz bt t ɖ fyćr v dmocṛsi
Súnde 6 Nvmbr 2022
Ẃn Americn votrz g t ɖ poulz on Tyzde, ɖe wl b votñ nt onli in a multtyd v sṗsific rêsz, bt in ẃt fīl lîc tū sepṛt ilex́nz. Ɖ frst z a larjli tṛdiśnl vrśn v ɖ midtrmz: a reḟrendm on ɖ incumbnt (hlpñ t xplen ẃ Jo Bîdn hz bn cīpñ a reḷtivli lo profîl, gvn hiz apruvlretñz) n on ɖ icoṇmi. In a cost v livñ crîsis, it me nt b s’prîzñ ɖt 92% v Rpublicnz si ɖ icoṇmi az vri importnt, wɖ pridictbl iśuz v crîm n iṃgreśn folowñ bhnd.
Bt amñ Deṃcrats, onli 65% si ɖ icoṇmi az vri importnt – ẃl 80% sáit ɖ fyćr v dmocṛsi, 79% sáit hlʈcer n 75% aborśn. Ɖs z ɖ secnd n vri difṛnt contest. It z a “strugl fr ɖ vri soul v America”, az Mr Bîdn wornd on Wnzde, n a batl ovr ppl’z funḍmntl rîts – t cntrol ɖer ǒn bodiz, n t hv fri n fer ilex́nz. Ɖ contxt z ɖ stormñ v ɖ Cápitl on 6 Jańri 2021; ɖ viśs atac on Nansi Pelosi’z huzbnd bî a man hu tld p’līs h hd pland t cidnap ɖ Hǎs spīcr n brec hr nīcaps f ś “laid” t him; n ɖ s’prīm cort’s oṿtrnñ v Rou v. Wêd. Ɖ latr léd t a srj in reɉstreśnz, n mor ɖn haf v rejistrd votrz stl se aborśn wl b vri importnt in dtrṃnñ ɖer ćôs. Bt Rpublicn canddets hu hv riylîzd ɖ unpopylaṛti v ɖer xtrim vyz r nǎ mudiyñ ɖer mesij, az īvn sm votrz hu dfîn ɖmslvz az “prolîf” bōlc at totl banz.
Ɖ qsćn z hǎ mć grǎnd Deṃcrats lūz. Poulz sjst Rpublicnz wl olmst srtnli tec ɖ Hǎs n r fevrd t tec ɖ Senit. Ẃɖr ɖe pruv mor akṛt ɖn in rīsnt yirz z criticl t an ǎtcm ẃć wl hlp t dtrmin evrʈñ fṛm YS s’port fr Ycren t ɖ 2024 preẓdnśl rês. A trîumf fr ɖ Rpublicnz wl mīn a hobld admiṇstreśn, fesñ lejsḷtiv stagneśn, hostîl cmitiz n invstgeśnz on matrz sć az Huntr Bîdn’z biznisdīlñz.
Bt ɖs z olso a dfînñ momnt in ɖ dfns v dmocṛsi. Ʈancs t Doṇld Trump’s laiz, ampḷfaid bî hard-rît mīdia ǎtlets lîc Fox Nyz, grasrūts Rpublicnz b’liv, intîrli roñli, ɖt ɖ 2020 ilex́n wz unfer or ǎtrît stoḷn – a b’lif nt dntd īvn ẃn hiz ǒn ofiślz tsṭfaid t hiz dfit. Ɖ consiqnsz hv includd p’liticl vayḷns; ɖ denjr v mor z clir. Bt ɖs “big lî” z olso pleyñ ǎt in midtrm rêsz.
Ɖ ilectṛl sistm z olrdi worpt bî yirz v jerimanḍrñ, az ɖ growñ gap btwn ɖ Deṃcrats’ śer v ɖ popylr vot n acćl p’liticl pǎr demnstrets (ɖo ɖ Hǎs rês apirz fẹrr ɖn in rīsnt contests). Nǎ it z undr freś ʈret fṛm ǎtrît ilex́n dnîrz hu qsćn or rjct Mr Trump’s dfit n w’nt cmit t axptñ dfit ɖmslvz. F ɖ formr prezidnt runz in 2024 – az h sz h “vri, vri, vri probbli” wl d – ci ilex́n’fiślz me nt rzist hiz atmts t oṿtrn hiz dfit az ɖe dd in 2020. In Aṛzona, ol bt wn v ɖ Rpublicn canddets fr Congres, guvnr, atrni jenṛl n secṛtri v stet hv qsćnd ɖ 2020 rzult.
Ɖ vri act v castñ a vot in ɖ midtrmz me hlp t prizrv or impeṛl dmocṛsi. Bt bcz vri pṛtractd cǎnts wl probbli b foloud bî līgl ćaḷnjz n ʈrets, winñ mīnz nt jst pswedñ votrz, bt enśurñ ɖt ɖer ćôsz r upheld. An incrisñli poḷrîzd ilectṛt me muv īvn frɖr apart. It z unṣprîzñ ɖt ɖr r tū contests ẃn ɖr r, incrisñli, tū difṛnt Americaz, hu canot īvn agri on ɖ facts, stl les ẃt ɖe mīn fr ɖ neśn.
