Gavin Newsom

Steven Greenhut | 7.12.2024 7:30 AM

Both major American political camps are convinced that democracy is under attack by the other side, and they probably are both largely correct. There simply are different styles and approaches for thwarting the supposed will of the people—or at least for undermining the complex system that allows people to choose the way their nation is governed.

Our democracy may be the equivalent of "two wolves and a sheep voting on what's for dinner," as one aphorism puts it, but it's also "the worst form of government except for all those other forms," according to another. Our system certainly is flawed—laughably so at times—but I doubt most Americans would be pleased with the results if it were replaced by something more efficient.

In terms of attacking that system, we've seen one approach on vivid display. First, refuse to concede an election. Second, concoct an elaborate legal and political scheme to overturn the election results. Third, energize a ragtag mob to invade a public edifice and then, finally, spend years poisoning the public's faith in elections by peddling conspiracies and attacking opponents in intemperate ways.

We'll call that the "iron fist" approach. It's destructive, but is easy to recognize and understand: If we win, the People........

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