When Kamala Harris wins all Americans win
Why 300+ Reagan, Bush, McCain, and Romney alumni support Harris-Walz in 2024
In a Constitutional Republic, there are no winners and losers in an election. Our revered document, drafted by our Founders, and backstopped by the Bill of Rights, ensures that no matter the outcome of an election, the American people still win.
A national election is supposed to be a chance to take the measure of the country. Candidates talk to the people about how they’re feeling about the direction of the country and our place in the world, and then present a vision for how to move us through the next four years. The contrasting visions have long been different approaches to lifting up as many people as possible and improving the country from the inside and out. But once the votes were counted there was never a doubt that the country would move on. There would be new debates about policy proposals, but the country would move forward. The people would still move forward in their own way to pursue their visions for their own lives.
Each of us has worked on campaigns and in government. We have seen election wins and losses. We have seen policy wins and losses. In the heat of the moment of a loss we may be emotional because like all people in a competition who worked hard and came up short, we are let down by the outcome. But never we did consider the victors our enemy. Never did we question whether that the outcome would mean dark days ahead for our Republic.
When Bill Clinton unseated George H.W. Bush, the country moved on. Bush graciously conceded, and we moved on to the next debates and elections. When Barack Obama won elections over John McCain and Mitt Romney, the latter graciously conceded, and we moved on to the next debates and elections. None of us ever wondered in terror whether Clinton or Obama had dark machinations for their political opponents.
The same cannot be said for Donald Trump. No American president has ever fomented an insurrection to prevent the will of the people from turning him out of office. No candidate has ever mused about using the power of the government to target Americans who opposed him -- labeling them “the enemy within.” He intends for there to be winners and losers.
We do not stand up in support of Kamala Harris because we believe in every policy she has put forward. We stand up for our Constitution, the rule of law, and the norms and values that have governed our country from the start. Kamala Harris is only person in this race committed to these ideals and putting forth a vision that ensures all Americans win when she enters the Oval Office as the 47th President.
Just as our Founders intended.