THE PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION
NOVEMBER 3, 2020
PERSONAL REFLECTIONS
by John R. Connolly
NOVEMBER 3, 2020
PERSONAL REFLECTIONS
by John R. Connolly
On a cool and cloudy day on November 7, 2020 Joe Biden was projected as the winner of
the 2020 presidential election and designated to become the 46th President of the United States.
This day marks one of the most liberating and exhilarating days in my life. The country has been
freed from an incompetent, divisive president, who has spent four years trying to divide our
country and destroy our constitutional democracy.
As expected, the defeated president, Donald Trump, has already begun to dispute the
results of the election. Actually, he started questioning the legitimacy of the election even while
the counting of the votes was still underway. He has claimed that he has actually "won" the
election "by a lot" and has made unsubstantiated claims of voter fraud. None of this was
surprising as he had said before the election, "If I win there will be peace. If I lose, there won't
be any." He had also said that, if he lost, the election would be rigged, and that he would not
accept the results of the election if he lost. Unfortunately, he was not lying when he made these
statements. Even as I write this on November 19,2020, he still continues to claim that the
election was fraudulent and has convinced his followers to accept his false and baseless claims.
He still has not conceded and probably never will.
All of this confirms what was evident during his four years as president that he basically
rejects the free and open electoral process in the United States which is the very basis of our
constitutional democracy. He reaction to the election simply further corroborates his
incompetency and his preference for governing though lies, distortions, and bullying. The really
sad part of all this is that he has convinced so many people in this country to accept his lies and
false claims about the legitimacy of the 2020 election. Unfortunately, the harm that he has
caused to our country will not go away completely after he is gone. But on a brighter note, he
will be gone (soon and very soon) and we will not have to listen to his lies, his name-calling, his
bullying, his rejection of the constitutional safeguards in our government, his complete and
absolute incompetency, and his totally insane and ridiculous rule by tweets.
the 2020 presidential election and designated to become the 46th President of the United States.
This day marks one of the most liberating and exhilarating days in my life. The country has been
freed from an incompetent, divisive president, who has spent four years trying to divide our
country and destroy our constitutional democracy.
As expected, the defeated president, Donald Trump, has already begun to dispute the
results of the election. Actually, he started questioning the legitimacy of the election even while
the counting of the votes was still underway. He has claimed that he has actually "won" the
election "by a lot" and has made unsubstantiated claims of voter fraud. None of this was
surprising as he had said before the election, "If I win there will be peace. If I lose, there won't
be any." He had also said that, if he lost, the election would be rigged, and that he would not
accept the results of the election if he lost. Unfortunately, he was not lying when he made these
statements. Even as I write this on November 19,2020, he still continues to claim that the
election was fraudulent and has convinced his followers to accept his false and baseless claims.
He still has not conceded and probably never will.
All of this confirms what was evident during his four years as president that he basically
rejects the free and open electoral process in the United States which is the very basis of our
constitutional democracy. He reaction to the election simply further corroborates his
incompetency and his preference for governing though lies, distortions, and bullying. The really
sad part of all this is that he has convinced so many people in this country to accept his lies and
false claims about the legitimacy of the 2020 election. Unfortunately, the harm that he has
caused to our country will not go away completely after he is gone. But on a brighter note, he
will be gone (soon and very soon) and we will not have to listen to his lies, his name-calling, his
bullying, his rejection of the constitutional safeguards in our government, his complete and
absolute incompetency, and his totally insane and ridiculous rule by tweets.
Humpty Trumpity sat on his wall
Humpty Trumpity had a great fall
All the kings lies and all of his men
Couldn't put Humpty Trumpity together again
Humpty Trumpity had a great fall
All the kings lies and all of his men
Couldn't put Humpty Trumpity together again
MONDAY, NOVEMBER 24, 2020
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by John R. Connolly
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by John R. Connolly
On Monday, November 23, 2020 the GSA, the General Services Administration, notified President elect Joe Biden that he could begin the transition process. Michigan certified its election results proclaiming Biden the winner of its 16 electoral votes. Multiple counties in Pennsylvania began certifying their election results as well.
Today, on Tuesday, November 24, 2020 Pennsylvania and Nevada certified their election results giving Biden a combined total of 26 electoral votes. As of today, in the popular vote Biden has received 80,033, 996 votes and Trump has received 73,880,000. Biden has won 51.09% of the popular vote to 47.19% for Trump. On December 11, the popular vote lead increased for Biden. Biden has now received 81,283,009 to 74,223,287 for Trump, giving Biden a margin of 7,059,722 votes, giving Biden 51.38 of the popular vote to 46.91% for Trump. Biden has received 306 electoral votes and Trump has received 232. As of December, this remains the same.
In spite of all Trump's false claims of voter fraud and his attempts to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential elections in the battle-ground states that Biden won, he has not succeeded in undermining the results of the election. In Michigan he met with the Republican leaders of the state legislature in an effort to override the vote of the people and have the Republican state legislature appoint electors who supported him. All of which resulted in another failed attempt to undermine the 2020 presidential election. Although Trump's efforts to undermine the validity of the 2020 election were unprecedented and vicious attacks upon our free and democratic election process, the good news is that they did not succeed.
Our country's democratic institutions and safeguards prevented a take over of our country by an evil and incompetent man. It is over Mr. Trump. You have lost and you only have yourself to blame.
FRIDAY, DECEMBER 11, 2020
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THE CATHOLIC FAITH AND TRUMP'S FRAUDULENT ELECTION CLAIMS
by John R. Connolly
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THE CATHOLIC FAITH AND TRUMP'S FRAUDULENT ELECTION CLAIMS
by John R. Connolly
These reflections are not based solely on the election laws, rules, procedures, and traditions of our constitutional democracy; they are rooted in my Catholic faith. The Catholic faith is grounded in the paschal event of the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus and the two fundamental commandments that he proclaimed as the greatest commandments, to love God and your neighbor as yourself. It embraces the fundamental doctrinal, moral, and social teachings of the Catholic Church, as well as the ten commandments, the theological virtues, and the beatitudes. Lying, cheating, bearing false witness, and spreading fraudulent claims are certainly incompatible with the teachings of the Catholic church. The filing of fabricated and unfounded lawsuits, coercing others to perform illegal acts to further one’s own gain, and misleading one’s supporters through lies and unsubstantiated claims are all actions that are not supported by the fundamental beliefs of the Catholic faith. Neither are actions like bullying others into supporting one’s fraudulent claims, questioning the loyalty and patriotism of those who disagree with you, or encouraging and condoning threats against those who question one’s fraudulent claims. Catholic Social teaching does not support placing one’s own egotistical self-interest before the common good. Fraudulently questioning the legitimacy of the votes of minorities and poor people is fundamentally racist.
One could go on and on with the moral decadency of Trump’s attempt to overthrow the legitimate results of the 2020 election, but the main point that I wish to make is why you are only hearing this from me. Where are the U.S. bishops? Why are they not speaking out against these violations of the beliefs and moral teaching of the Catholic faith? Of more concern, why are some of the U.S. bishops actually supporting Trump’s false claims and his attempt to overturn a legitimate election? To be even- handed and nonpartisan the U.S. bishops need to condemn threats to the fundamental beliefs of the Catholic faith from all sides.
Every bone in my Catholic faith supports the condemnation of these immoral efforts to overturn the results of the 2020 election. It is a faith that is rooted in eight years of Catholic elementary school, four years in a Catholic high school, eight years studying to be a Catholic priest, six years of studying theology in a Catholic graduate school. I have not created the beliefs of the Catholic faith that inspire me; they have come from my parents, my teachers at all levels, Catholic priests and Catholic nuns, as well as from the bishops themselves. Why can the U.S. bishops not speak out at this time and provide a more solid moral foundation for Catholics living in the United States? In a recent article in Commonweal magazine Massimo Faggioli wrote, “we should be concerned with the lasting damage the outgoing one [president Trump] has done. Trumpism still threatens the Catholic contribution to the moral-religious consensus at the basis of democracy in America, along with the viability of the American Catholic project itself.” (“A Reset with Rome, But Not at Home,” Commonweal, November 23, 2020).
WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 15, 2020
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On Monday, December 14, 2020, at 2:52 pm. Joe Biden officially received the 270 electoral votes necessary to be elected the next president of the United States. The final electoral vote total was 306 for Biden and 232 for Trump. On January 20, 2020, Joe Biden will be inaugurated as the 46th president of the United States.
On Tuesday, December 15, 2020, GOP senator Mitch McConnell, majority leader of the senate, phoned president-elect Joe Biden and congratulated him, recognizing Biden's election for the first time. However, Trump and his die-hard followers said that they will continue to resist accepting the results of the election. However, it is no longer possible for them to overturn the results of the election.
On Tuesday, December 15, 2020, GOP senator Mitch McConnell, majority leader of the senate, phoned president-elect Joe Biden and congratulated him, recognizing Biden's election for the first time. However, Trump and his die-hard followers said that they will continue to resist accepting the results of the election. However, it is no longer possible for them to overturn the results of the election.