Florida Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL) discoursed about the issues of democracy in America during his recent appearance on NBC’s ‘Meet The Press.’ Rubio posited that it is not his party, the Republicans, but rather the Democrats who are aiming to destabilize the democratic fabric of our nation. When probed about accepting the 2024 election results ‘no matter what,’ Rubio was resolute in his stance, stating, ‘No. If it’s an unfair election, I think it’s going to be contested.’ An unequivocal stand undoubtedly aligning with any citizen’s rightful view – nobody should accept election results ‘no matter what,’ especially when anomalies are suspected.
It stands to reason that Rubio’s skepticism isn’t born of pessimism, but a necessary vigilance in maintaining electoral integrity. Queries that assume elections are beyond reproach or any potential meddling are fundamentally flawed. This erroneous belief is very far from reality, and assume there can’t possibly be any threat to the sanctity of our democratic processes. Such assumptions are naively optimistic, even more so given that these are notions even the far-fetched Left doesn’t fully endorse.
In fact, the Left, for a considerable period – close to four years followed the 2016 election – vehemently questioned its result. It was a result they disputed, though devoid of any concrete justification. This lays the groundwork for Rubio’s succeeding comments where he drew attention to an intriguing pattern amongst Democrats, who vehemently opposed each Republican triumph since the turn of the millennium.
The exchange of thoughts continued with host Kristen Welker who claimed Hillary Clinton graciously conceded to Trump during the 2016 election. In response, the Senator from Florida sharply reminded her, ‘Hillary Clinton said the election was stolen from her and that Trump was illegitimate.’ Adding fuel to the fire, he mentioned Vice President Kamala Harris amongst others from the Democratic realm, who endorsed the same misguided belief.
Marco Rubio’s response on who undermines democracy/elections was excellent! ?? pic.twitter.com/JVfIMD3aqX
— Eddie (@Eddies_X) May 19, 2024
Welker subsequently put forth more episodes of Democrats seemingly conceding to election results while nurturing misgivings about election integrity. Rubio asserted, however, that such side issues weren’t the crux of the debate. The crux, in his eyes, was the Democrats’ seemingly persistent pursuit of decisions that damage trust in democracy. A notable instance of this is their unwavering resistance to voter ID laws, a reasonable measure designed to ensure electoral integrity.
The Democrats also express baffling support for ballot drop boxes, another dubious mechanism that’s been controversial in its implementation. Isn’t it a fundamental tenet of democracy that only legal citizens should possess electoral privileges? It appears to Rubio, and many others of like mind, that Democrats shrug off measures designed to protect election integrity as mere trifles.
Rubio moved on, explicitly stating, ‘When places like Wisconsin have over 500 illegal drop box locations, and when liberal factions in places like Georgia were found encouraging people to vote by compensating them monetarily, it’s not faith in the democracy that’s shaken, but the underlying integrity of the system. It’s practices like these that truly undermine elections.’
A critical point Rubio offered involves the role of major news outlets in influencing elections. He pointed out how leading outlets such as NBC News browbeat the Biden laptop story during the 2020 elections, labelling it as unfounded Russian misinformation, when in reality the story turned out to be accurate after all. The power wielded by social media platforms in steering the narrative likewise caught Rubio’s eye. Platforms quick to de-platform anyone who dared discuss the story on their sites.
The Senator solemnly declared his party would respond the same way Democrats do in case of an unfair election, through legal channels, contesting any states not adhering to their party’s election laws. Such a stance, though firm, is not without precedence and is vital in upholding the democratic principles.
Venerating the inviolability of our institutions is a conservative principle central to the articulations of thought leaders. As Rubio acknowledges, this trust, though sacred, is not unassailable and can be squandered through continual faith breaches. The essence of a government lies in the consent of its citizens, a consent that both God and man aim to preserve in a rightly formed and functioning government.
Rubio observed that this consent could unintentionally slip away when a government ceases to honour its contractual obligations, as evidenced by the faltering belief of American citizens. Rubio also underscores the role of media as the gatekeepers of democracy and the bulwark against phoniness. However, our current media landscape seems to be straying from its Founders’ intended mission.
In Rubio’s perspective, our modern media has sieved their interests to mirror those of the Democratic Party. A party that seemingly promotes actions as heartbreaking as the systematic destruction of unborn lives and the widespread promotion of moral decline. This party is the same that wars against an individual’s right to self-defense, a cornerstone of the trust established within the societal contract.
Lastly, despite being regularly chastised by the Left for breaching democratic principles and the Founders’ vision, as delineated in the Constitution, Republicans are not the ones at fault here. It’s the Radical Left, as Rubio concludes, who exhibit a deep-seated loathing for the values that the Founding was built upon, values that till today continue to be emblazoned across the hearts and minds of millions of Americans.
