Ed Said - In God (and lawyers) We Trust

 

In their title fight just a few weeks ago, an in-form Jacinda ‘Aunty Cindy’ Ardern delivered a knockout blow to a bruised and bloodied Judith ‘Crusher’ Collins. Now it’s the theme from ‘Rocky’ blaring over the sound system as Republican President Donald Trump and Democratic hopeful Joe Biden lace up the gloves for their bout.

It’s looking entirely likely that by the time this issue goes to print on Friday, the world still won’t know who has been elected President of the United States. We have been smothered by all sorts of statistics as political pundits and commentators try to make sense of it all. The prediction is that the unparalleled early voting turnout, and large numbers of postal votes to be counted at the end, both of which apparently favour Biden, may mean a swing towards change. Exit polls show many Americans divided over the top issues with the critical ones being the economy, racial inequality, then coronavirus, in that order.

Through the whole event it’s been neck and neck, too close to call, the opposite of polls over the last few months which showed Biden should win quite easily. Also, much like in this country, the pandemic was thought to be a game changer for Trump, who enjoyed reasonable favour with the nation until the virus hit. His mismanagement of it was seen as a key reason for a predicted dip in favour with voters. This hasn’t necessarily happened, especially outside metropolitan areas, despite daily coronavirus cases in the US now spiking to over one hundred thousand.

In a recent episode, even Homer Simpson, one of America’s most influential figures over the last 30 years, apparently found the decision difficult, unsure of who to vote for at the booth after discovering Judge Judy wasn’t one of the candidates on the list. Turns out it was all a dream sequence, he didn’t vote at all, and the town of Springfield was eventually plunged into a dystopian nightmare, presumably like the rest of the country. It also turns out his vote was the decider, the lesson being of course, how important it is to vote, and that every vote counts. Which way would Homer really vote? Maybe the colour of Marge’s hair is a clue.

Should Biden win the race to the 270 electoral votes required to win the Presidency, that won’t be the end of proceedings. The famously litigious Trump has ‘lawyered up’, a team of legal eagles filing multiple court actions claiming cheating at the polls, and demanding recounts. A caveat on election results across the country could mean Donald Trump gets to remain in the White House until these matters are resolved. It’s a cunning but desperate plan.

‘In God We Trust, all others pay cash’ was a humorous phrase I learned as a kid, though I never really understood the origins of it. Deo confidimus may sound like a spell straight out of a Harry Potter book, but translated from the Latin means ‘In God We Trust’. The phrase was used on American coins during the Civil War and around a century later, in 1956, legislated as the official motto of the United States. Now, as the nation crosses their fingers in hope, maybe faith, not bureaucracy, will allow an acceptance of whatever the result may be.

Rich Pooley Editor
info@mangawhaifocus.co.nz

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