The American Presidential Election & the Luso-American Vote

Every four years, we Americans – and Luso-Americans – like to say that the next presidential election is the most consequential of our lives. Sure, sometimes. But this November 3rd’s will no doubt be such an election. There is much at stake for Americans and even Luso-Americans. 

Trump vs. Biden

It’s actually pretty simple. If you like the status quo, the incumbent Republican ticket of Donald J. Trump and Michael Pence, is it. If you want change, the Democratic ticket of former U.S. Vice President Joseph Biden and U.S. Senator Kamala Harris, is the choice for you. They offer little of agreement on ideology and positions stands. The American electorate is extremely polarized. 

Platforms

The Trump ticket is running on an alleged “law and order” and “strong economy” platform, among other things. Neither is necessarily true. While the Trump ticket claims to be pro-law enforcement and military, recent riots across the country have shown what critics call a lack of empathy. The use of unidentified and heavily militarized units used to break-up what otherwise are civil protests and an exercise of rights protected under the U.S. Constitution, others see it as an improper exercise of raw political power. 

The Biden/Harris ticket have seized on the untimely death of African-Americans in police custody, urban riots and blaming it on the Trump Administration. They also righty denounce Trump for his false claims that that COVID-19 is a hoax, and promotion of unorthodox remedies like the disproved hydroxychloroquine as cures for the virus. It's been conspiracy theory, after conspiracy theory. The Trump ticket continues to stroke fears among his base about immigrants and more lately claiming how Americans, especially those living in the suburbs, won’t be safe living under a Biden Administration. Ridiculous. Mind you, the riots and demonstrations are occurring because of his ill-thought, racist, sexist and xenophobic polices. It is nothing more than “gas lighting.”

There is no doubt that Wall Street and those with money invested in the market have done rather well. Interest rates are also likely to stay low, according to the Federal Reserve. Still, the number of jobless Americans, while recently declining, still equals numbers close to, if not higher, than those seen during the Great Depression and the more recent Great Economic Recession of 2008. Recent numbers put the unemployment rate at around 8.4 percent. Moreover, according to the U.S. Department of Labor, about 51 million people have filed for unemployment benefits since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic.

With the loss of a job, many American have lost their health insurance, this at a time of a pandemic when it's needed most. Consider these two recent studies. Families USA estimates that more than 5.4 million American workers lost their insurance between February and May of this year. Meanwhile, the Kaiser Family Foundation estimates that 27 million Americans have lost coverage in this pandemic. Moreover, because of the out of control COVID-19 virus, a recent study put the number of Americans at risk of being evicted at between 30 and 40 million people. 

The response to the COVID-19 virus, too, has become a weakness of this Administration. Critics say the Administration was slow to respond to the pandemic. According to the John Hopkins University Coronavirus Resource Center, the United States is 1st – in the number of confirmed cases and deaths – approximately 6.6 million and 196,000, respectively.

As if this weren’t bad enough, a key forecasting model used by the White House – and created by the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME) at the University of Washington – now estimates as many as 400,000 deaths by January 1, 2021. The race for a vaccine before the November election has been a promise Trump has made but given his lack of candor and outright lies, many remain skeptical and see this as the elect ploy that it is to gain votes. 

"Nothing but the Best"

Another unenviable first for the Administration is the number top members convicted or charged with crimes: Steve Bannon, Roger Stone, Paul Manafort, Michael Cohen, Michael Flynn, Rick Gates, George Nader, among the most prominent. On the other hand, the Obama Administration, under which Bidden served as Vice President for 8 years, was the perfect example of high ethics and morals.

I’ve known and seen this incompetence in leadership first-hand in my previous employment with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). DHS has been plagued by an Acting Secretary that has become a puppet of this president. One who has improperly employed the Department's resources beyond the scope of its original mission – to protect the nation from terrorism. Lately, it has been used to spy on journalists and deploy to cities run by democratic leadership so that the president can seem to show how strong he is on criminals. The Acting Secretary has lately come under severe criticism for his lack of law enforcement credentials and the legitimacy of his appointment. 

Meanwhile, a subcomponent of the DHS, FEMA – the federal agency responsible for preparing the nation to respond and recover from all-hazards, including man-made and natural risks like hurricanes, earthquakes, tornadoes, floods, and wildfires, has also been tasked with responding to the COVID-19. Like DHS, the Agency has had its share of problems too. After nearly 25 years of public service, nearly 15 of those at the Agency, this March, I involuntarily resigned because of a toxic and hostile working environment, and a culture of harassment and retaliation, all for speaking out against these conditions and the ineptitude of Agency leadership. The agency is afflicted with three other main issues: 

• Critical leadership vacancies that have gone unfilled due to an exodus of experienced staff;
• An Administrator that reflects the president’s awful behavior by repeatedly lying to the U.S. Congress on the degree of the nation’s readiness and capabilities to respond to multiple major and catastrophic incidents; 
• Probably the most serious threat facing the Agency, is its failure to have in place a protocol for federal and state officials to alert the public in case of a nuclear in-coming missile attack. As the Agency notes on its website: “ a nuclear explosion may occur with a few minutes warning or without warning.” Yet, it still can’t produce a document explaining the protocol as to whom makes the announcement to the public that the country is under attack! This can have extremely dire consequences – including needless deaths. I’m still waiting to a reply to my Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request. 

Foreign Policy

In terms for foreign policy, the Trump Administration does not have anything remote to a doctrine. If anything, it might be “It’s All About Me,” doctrine, despite he saying that it’s about “putting America First” and “Making American Great Again.” While it had a recent “victory,” an agreement on a treaty between Israel, the United Arab Emirates (U.A.E.) and Bahrain, the Administration has nothing really to offer. Under Trump, the United States has become an unwilling participant world affairs. Following, instead of leading.

Trump continues to back Putin despite Russia’s interference in the last presidential election and the purported offering of bounties to Afghans militants to kill U.S. troops. He continues to blame China on the spread of the virus when other public health officials blame the early virus as coming from Europe. "Nothing more could have been done" on the coronavirus response.

Trump has also pulled the U.S. from the Iran nuclear deal and trashed and discredited the Paris Climate accord. He has pressured NATO country members, like Portugal, to pay a greater share for the U.S.’s role in their defense; and distancing the U.S. from allies and embracing dictators like Kim Jong Un, the Supreme Leader of North Korea. The "love affairs" has yet to produce a nuclear disarmament treaty. The country continues to develop its nuclear capabilities to strike U.S. interests, territories and even the continental United States. 

Meanwhile, Trump has constantly beaten up on the United Nations and its Secretary General, the former Portuguese Prime Minister and U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees, Antonio Guterres. As one of the largest financial contributors to the international body’s budget, and as one of the most important stakeholders, the U.S. has considerable power over the operation of the international body. The Trump Administration claims that the U.S deserves more for its investment and has not been shy about imposing its will on the global body to attempt to get its way, as it did recently, threatening to reduce its contribution to the World Health Organization (WHO). The U.S. claims the body is too close to China and did not do enough to stop the virus from spreading from China when first discovered it.  

US - Portugal Relations

In terms of bilateral relations between the United States and Portugal, regardless of the outcome in November, there is no reason to believe there would be a significant change in relations between the two long-time allies.

The close and productive relationship that has existed will no double continue. Trade will also continue to be important as the United States is Portugal's largest trading partner outside the E.U. If anything, obviously the main change would be in ambassadors. Current U.S. Ambassador to Lisbon, George Glass, seems to enjoy a very friendly relationship with Prime Minister Antonio Costa and his Socialist led-government. Probably the one impact on the relationship between the U.S. and Portugal is the COVID-related travel restrictions, which no doubt is impacting tourism. Tourism, according to the World Travel and Tourism Council, was "set to grow by 5.3 percent in 2019, more than double the European average. Strong tourism growth bodes well for the Portuguese economy, considering tourism brings in 20 percent of the country's GPD."

A Close & Contentious Campaign

Despite the lead in the majority of national polls by Biden, experts are now telling us that the election to be a closed one. A nasty one too, as evidenced by the political ads in traditional and social media. Still, the Vice President enjoys a lead between seven to 10 percentage points. But a lot can change in the remaining 48 days. 

Adding to an already extremely contentious political contest, Trump has been falsely raising concerns about the legitimacy of the upcoming vote. Without proof, Trump has been claiming that voting by mail – an option that will probably be used more extensibly in this election unlike others because of the fear of contagion from the virus – and is seen as favoring Democrats, is problematic and open to corruption. Many see this as Trump spinning so that if he loses, he can contest the election results as illegitimate. Other have claimed that the increased volume of ballots by mail is also expected to make it difficult to determine the winner immediately on election night and probably resulting in both sides taking legal action, regardless of whom claims to be the winner. This will only add to the current divisiveness, uncertainty and anxiety already in the country. 

The other issue the Administration is now dealing with is the apparent backlash Trump is getting regarding disparaging remarks he has been making about fallen soldiers. In "Rage" – another book from Watergate fame and Washington Post reporter, Bob Woodward – Trump is quoted as calling deceased soldiers "losers" and "suckers." Trump never served in the military because of bone spurs.

Voter's Priorities and Consequences of this Election - "Dystopia"

There's a lot riding on the outcome of this election. No doubt many Americans will be asking themselves the question that Ronald Reagan asked: "am I better off today than four years ago?" The answer depends on who you are and may well determined the next president of the United States.

An August 13, 2020 Pew Research Center poll on U.S. Politics and Policy shows that voters are “highly engaged” but that “nearly half expect to have difficulties voting.” In this poll, the economy is the most important issue for participants (79%), followed by health care (68%) and Supreme Court Appointment (64%). Interesting results. You'd think given what is occurring in the country – the coronavirus outbreak, wildfires and more frequent hurricanes – that climate change would rank higher. COVID-19 accounts for 62%, or fourth place in the poll, and climate change was near the bottom – 42%, and just above abortion (40%).  

Despite some of the Administration’s accomplishments or perceived accomplishments, a second term of Trumpism would be nothing more nothing less than “dystopia,” as the philosopher John Stuart Mill coined – a place too bad to exist. A society in which the conditions of life are so miserable, characterized by human misery, poverty, oppression, violence, disease, and/or pollution. The country is crying out for unity and progress. Four more years of a Trump Administration will just prolong the long and dark winter – a period not of Enlightment and advancement – but regression. Impeachment did not stop Trump from exploiting class divisions in this country – its has exacerbated them.

A second term will embolden the President even more to abuse the power of his office and continue to enrich himself and his family – at the public’s expense. Four more years and he’ll do to the country what he’s done to his business – bankrupt it. Despite criticism of his use of the privileges of his office, he had blurred the lines between what is right and wrong. He promised to recruit the best people to serve in government, he appointed criminals. Ethics has become an academic exercise. Character doesn’t matter. Public service has given way to public fleecing of the treasury and self-profit. Nothing is sacred. No institution has been spared. The “deconstruction of the administrative state,” started in the first term, will lead to a total destruction in a second term. "Poof," just like he said of the virus and it's gone.

The Luso-American Vote

Given the fact that this is expected to be a close election, the Luso-American vote becomes that much more important. While it is difficult to say that it can determine the results of this critical election, it can certainly make a difference. So the message is to vote, and vote as early as possible, using whatever means are legally available where they live in great considerable numbers – California, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, New York, New Jersey, Florida and Hawaii. 

Luso-American Agenda

Given, too, how hard the Portuguese-American Leadership Council of the United States (PALCUS) has worked to “Make Portuguese Count” – that is encourage a greater participation of Portuguese-Americans in the on-going 2020 U.S. Census – it is lamentable that there is not a “Luso-American Agenda" with issues that are vital to the community of nearly 1.4 million Portuguese-Americans. Consequently, and as PALCUS rightfully recognizes, he have been rendered "invisible" and have seen efforts in the education, civic engagement and health research hampered. Knowing how many we are is key to achieve political clout and respect.

The Portuguese Vote

It is also regrettable that neither Democratic nor Republican party has aggressively courted the “Portuguese vote," as far as I can tell. That’s a shame because in such close races, a Portuguese vote could indeed make a difference and bring with it more political clout to the community.

Perhaps this state of affairs can lead to a unity project for the next presidential elections where Luso-American organizations – on both the political Right and Left – can come together and make demands in exchange for its vote. Failure to do so, means we’ll keep getting crumbs and not even have a chance to sit at the political table.

No doubt a fantastic project for the Luso-American Development Foundation (FLAD) to support and finance. Likewise, both the Senate Friends of Portugal and the House Portuguese-American Caucus can play a constructive role in this regards. We ought to be worth more than just a photo op.

The Biden campaign is running on a theme of “Build Back Better”– whatever that means. But I do know, that if you want to build something right, nobody does it better that a Luso/a-American.

Too bad both campaigns hardly know we exist. 

Still, in less than 40 days from now we – Luso-Americans – Democrats, Independents or Republicans will exercise one of the most fundamental rights as a citizen – the right to vote.

Vote like your life depends on it. This time, it really does.