The Bright Light of Day

Since February of 2016 this site has been dedicated to the proposition that increasing tactical politics poses an existential threat to democracy and that only if some combination of (1) moderates who tend to vote Republican/moderate Republican officeholders and (2) mainstream journalists who favor "balanced" reporting of news recognize what is happening and adjust their behavior accordingly, liberal Democracy in the U.S. could fail.

In today's environment that has continued to see democracy erode since 2016, objective journalism is itself a liberal enterprise and the execution and administration of the law is itself a liberal enterprise.

In "President Trump Is Taking Control of the Mueller Probe in Slices", Jonathan Chait refers to Trump's advance antidemocratic efforts "Salami Slicess"
He writes:
"If Trump had baldly demanded a year ago that he be handed full control over the prosecutorial powers of the Justice Department, many of his coalition partners (Republicans in Congress) would have revolted. Instead he has encroached step by step upon the Department’s independence. At each step, his opponents have had to choose between giving him one more slice of salami and staging an irrevocable breach. The salami is getting shorter, and Trump’s final demands are drawing closer."

We have been heading toward this moment for the past 30 years or so. It was not the inevitable result of the 2016 election, but with Trump running, all of the necessary elements were in place.

So, contrary to the WaPo motto that "Democracy Dies in Darkness", in the U.S., Democracy Dies in the Bright Light of Day

In his description of Team Trump chipping away at the rule of law, Chait closes with the chilling statement:

"If Republicans maintain their majority in November, Rosenstein and the Justice Department will suddenly be staring down an emboldened Republican Party prepared to take whatever remains of his independence."

Unfortunately, facing that reality is not something we can expect from moderate Republican voters, moderate Republican officeholders, or journalists who believe that all balance equals truth - until it's too late.