In 1936, after the Republican presidential candidate, Alf Landon, was trounced by the Democratic incumbent at the time, Franklin Delano Roosevelt, he sent his rival a letter accepting unconditional defeat. He thanked Roosevelt for the "fair and gentlemanly" manner in which he campaigned against him. Although it's hard to imagine that this time, following the contentious, no-holds-barred battle between President Trump and his rival, Joe Biden, the winner will be met with a similar gesture from the loser – it's a mistake to believe that the current political culture – rife with social, ideological and political tensions and divisions – is unique to the Trump era.
In fact, aside from during the Cold War, the American political arena has often-times been polarized along party lines, reflecting fundamental disagreements between the conservative and liberal camps.
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The schism that arose in the 1960s around the Civil Rights movement for African Americans, and the tectonic shift caused by the Vietnam War, were just two of the friction points that all but decimated the traditional political culture of pragmatism, predicated on the desire to reach agreements and middle ground no matter the cost and in any situation.
The apex was reached during Richard Nixon's second term in office, when he sought to weaken and erode the mechanisms and institutions that espoused protection of individual freedoms and groups and oppositionists from government tyranny and arbitrary or even illegal measures on the part of the government. The attempt failed, and his forced resignation over the Watergate scandal on August 9, 1974, further strengthened American democracy.
Amid this historical backdrop, these past four years haven't been abnormal in terms of the American landscape, rather another chapter in an entire chain of continuous battles for the character and essence of the nation. The fact that many people perceive this current chapter as unprecedented is attributable to Trump's style and conduct – but in actuality, he does not represent a watershed moment in the annals of US history.
Indeed, despite the contrarian and defiant tone emanating from the White House, the federal bodies he has railed against haven't been harmed or impeded in any real way.
And yet, in American culture, Election Day is the ultimate expression of the strength and durability of the country's democratic principles. Despite the many crises, which the American people have confronted in the past, they have voted freely and consecutively since 1845, and elections have never been postponed or temporarily canceled.
America has always voted, even at the height of the Civil War and world wars. Moreover, all the initial signs currently indicate a particularly high turnout, as early voting numbers are reflecting unprecedented political interest and participation that could break the modern-era voting record of 63% in 1960.
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