Gregory Buls – In 1796, America under George Washington enjoyed peace and prosperity unforeseen by even the most optimistic Founders. The election of 1796 was arguably the most important in the nation’s history because it represented our first true transfer of power. Many had urged Washington to be king. Instead, he willingly gave his power back to the people, who then placed it into the hands of our second president, John Adams. Though Adams beat Thomas Jefferson by a mere three electoral votes – and won just 71 out of 276 cast – thoughts of monarchy were forgotten, and America was set on a course it maintained for the next 204 years.
The presidential election of 2000 established a new paradigm, where the winner of the contest was considered illegitimate by a large part of the opposition. Ditto 2004 and 2016. Though the effort to de-legitimize President Bush was interrupted by 9/11, the new paradigm appears fixed: Democrat winners are as American as apple pie, and Republican winners are cheaters. The peaceful transfer of power is no longer a given. Continue reading →