By admin 
Kamala Harris and the Democrats like to portray Donald Trump as a would-be dictator who could single-handedly turn our democracy upside down. That is not possible, given the beauty of our Constitution.
Boris Johnson speaks about Trump and his potential impact on world politics
Former British Prime Minister Boris Johnson sat down with USA TODAY’s Susan Page to discuss the 2024 U.S. election.
Call me a dreamer, but I’m not too worried about the future of our democracy, regardless of whether Donald Trump or Kamala Harris wins the presidential election on Tuesday.
I have no doubt that there will be protests across the country regardless of who wins, and that is worrying.
Yet I am also confident that our system of government will survive.
However, that is not the rhetoric we have heard from the candidates and their campaigns.
Both Trump and Harris have called their opponents a threat to democracy and have used fear tactics as a way to convince their supporters.
Trump framed Harris as a far-left extremist that would turn the United States into a Marxist mecca.
Harris called Trump a fascist, unhinged and a tyrant.
All of this has put Americans on edge, and many people are frankly fearing for the future of our country.
That’s a shame.
The elections are important, but keep things in perspective
Beyond the top candidates themselves, there are the issues driving voters this election.
While the candidates are eager to voice their opinions on the dangers facing our democracy, many Americans are more concerned about what directly affects their daily lives — including the high cost of food and other necessities and the economy, illegal immigration and crime.
As Harris and Trump make their closing arguments, however, the focus of their campaigns darkens as they consider what could happen if they lose.
Last week, Harris made her plea to the American people from the Ellipse in Washington DC – the same place where Trump spoke to his supporters on January 6, 2021. And while she tried to call for unity in the speech, her focus remained very much on calling out her opponent.
‘America, we know what Donald Trump has in mind’ Harris told the crowd. “More chaos. Even more division. And policies that help those at the top and hurt everyone else. I offer a different path. And I ask for your vote.”
The president matters. No question. But our system of government is designed so that no one branch can have too much power. That’s the beauty of checks and balances.
It is also expected that whoever wins the presidency will do so face a divided Congress. That should allay voters’ fears, as a split government will be a drag on any president’s to-do list.
Harris and the Democrats like to portray Trump as a would-be dictator who could single-handedly turn our democracy upside down.
That is not possible, given the beauty of our Constitution.
As Robert Pondiscio, a senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute, recently wisely noted: “We elect a president, not a king. The Constitution is not threatened by an authoritarian. It was written in anticipation of one.”
Our democracy faces greater threats than who becomes president
That said, I believe there are real concerns facing the country. including a loss of confidence in our most fundamental rights.
For example, a new research from the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression found that America’s understanding and appreciation of the First Amendment are declining.
More than half of Americans believe that “the First Amendment goes too far in the rights it guarantees.”
And 80% somehow agree that ‘words can be violence’. (That’s not true.)
“Equating words with violence trivializes actual physical harm, shuts down conversations, and even encourages actual violence by justifying the use of force against offensive speech,” FIRE President and CEO Greg Lukianoff said in a statement. “Free speech is not violence, it is the best alternative to violence ever invented.”
If there is a danger to the country, it will not come from one president. But it can also come from within ourselves.
Ingrid Jacques is a columnist at USA TODAY. Contact her at [email protected] or at X, formerly Twitter: @Ingrid_Jacques.