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Voters arrive at the Eloy City Hall polling location on November 3, 2020, in Eloy, Ariz. (Photo by Courtney Pedroza / Getty Images)

Sitting at a table outside a Starbucks caf in a strip mall in the impoverished Maryville neighborhood on the west side of Phoenix, City Council member Betty Guardado tells her story.

The 44-year-old, with short hair pulled back and dressed casually in T-shirt, jeans, and sneakers, says she grew up in South Central Los Angeles, in an immigrant household. After high school, she got a job as a housekeeper in a hotel, and by the late 1990s was working as a union organizer and as a volunteer on a number of political campaigns.

In 2007, Guardado moved to Phoenix to be with her husband and work full-time on organizing local hotel workers. At the time, Sheriff Joe Arpaio was marketing himself as Americas toughest sheriff, and his deputies were pulling over anyone and everyone whom they thought looked Mexican and demanding to see their papers. Youd get pulled over every two seconds because of the color of your skin, she recalls. To counter such practices, Guardado and her union colleagues concluded that they had to flex their electoral muscles and began working on voter registration. In Maryville alone, they expanded the number of Latino voters from about 300 to about 5,000, Guardado says.

Ten years after arriving in town, Guardado decided to run for the City Council district in Maryville, looking to highlight the economic neglect faced by the neighborhood, the lack of basic infrastructure such as banks and anchor businesses, and the fact that her story was similar to that of many others who live there. Look, Im a working-class mom just like you, she would tell residents. I struggle to pay my bills. I only have a high school diploma. I dont have a higher education.

It was a long process from the time she decided to run to the night in 2019 when, in a special election called to replace the sitting councillorwho was running for mayorshe received 63 percent of the vote. A year later, in the regularly scheduled election, she was reelected with 69 percent. Her victory marked a profound turning point for Phoenix, showcasing the hard-won power of working-class immigrant voices in a city that has long slighted the rights of both workers and immigrants.More From the Left Coast

But that shift, so liberating to many, has proven terrifying to the old-guard GOP in the state, who have grown used to electoral cakewalks and arent the least bit happy about the newly competitive nature of Arizona politics. That unwillingness to countenance progressive political change has reared its head recently in a particularly ugly manner.

Maricopa County, Ariz., which consists of Phoenix and the surrounding suburbs, has been in the news this week for a hyper-partisan, pro-Trump audit that GOP state legislators approved as a way to recount the votes, and politically challenge the results, of the 2020 presidential election.Current Issue

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The audit is nonsense from start to finish. Its being run by a gaggle of conspiracistschief among them the QAnon-believing executives of a Florida-based company called Cyber Ninjas that is providing the technical expertiseand alt-right activists. It operates on the assumption that fraud did take place and that the job of the audit is simply to find a way to count votes differentlya way that says Trump won the state. It wont alter the outcome of the election, since Congress certified that outcome and Joe Biden is the 46th president of the United States. But it will serve to further fracture the politics of the state and of the country, feeding Trumps die-hard base with more red meat to further their conspiracist fantasies.

This isnt just a waste of taxpayer money; its desperately dangerous stuff, part of the GOPs post-election drift ever further into loony tunes territory. This week, the House GOP, including minority leader Kevin McCarthy and party whip Steve Scalise, have begun explicitly orchestrating the removal of Liz Cheney from her Conference Chair leadership role in the partynot because they disagree with her stance on signature ideological issues (shes as conservative as they get) but because shes been unwilling to toe the personality-cult line when it comes to perpetuating Trumps Big Lie about the 2020 election. Also this week, onetime GOP presidential candidate Mitt Romney was mightily booed by delegates to his own state partys convention when he had the temerity to say that he wasnt a huge fan of the twice-impeached POTUS 45.

Now dont get me wrong, I dont have much sympathy for Romney or Cheney. Anybody who expects anything better of the GOP at this pointwho rationalizes their continued membership in a party defined by fanaticism, conspiracism, anti-science irrationalism, and personality cultismreally doesnt have a leg to stand on when those fanatics turn their cudgels against them. But the treatment meted out to Cheney and to Romney does speak to a monstrous crisis: The GOP, one of the two great governing parties in the United States, is now a profoundly antidemocratic force in the world.

In fact, in state after GOP-controlled state, and in the offices of members of Congress and state legislatures around the country, support for voter suppression laws has become de rigueur, a sort of after-the-fact homage to Trump and to Trumpism. Its as much of a litmus test for the GOP these days as, say, belief in the science of climate change is for Democrats; the difference being, of course, that the Republican litmus test is based on nothing but a lie. New York Times columnist Thomas Friedman recently wrote that Trumps Big Lie has devoured the GOP, and that the political behaviors growing out of this act now threaten the very survival of American democracy. Republicans are going full speed ahead to try to ensure, by any means necessary, their minoritarian dominance of the political process in coming electoral cycles.

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In Arizona, where the GOP has managed to lose two US Senate seats, the presidential election, and numerous local and state-level offices in recent years, the narrow GOP majority in the Legislature is trying to rig the system by rolling back the states long-standing commitment to easy-access mail-in voting, and by imposing ever more onerous ID and other requirements on those trying to exercise their franchise. So far, at least 23 voting-related bills have been announced in the past couple months. Some of themsuch as the one that would allow Arizona legislators to simply ignore the will of the voters and appoint their own electors to the Electoral Collegeare so batshit crazy that, in all likelihood, not even the Republican governor, Doug Ducey, would sign them. But many of them will soon become the law of the land.

All of which makes Maricopa County, dominated by the sprawling Phoenix metro area, particularly interesting. The GOP and its phony auditors are fixating on looking for voting irregularities there because it is as a result of deep shifts in Phoenixs political preferences that the state party and its nativist flag bearers have been handed one humiliating defeat after another in recent years.

A decade ago, Phoenixs nine-member City Council was reliably Republican. These days, it is strongly Democratic. As its political composition has shifted, so too have its political priorities. Guardado talks about how the council has approved paying the water bills of poor residents during the pandemic, and how it has begun paying for swimming lessons for low-income childrensince death by drowning, in pools and in rivers and gullies, is a big problem for young people in the desert state. She talks about her ambitions to put in place meaningful programs to tackle homelessness; she speaks with pride about the $15-per-hour living wage that the council passed for full-time city employeesand the ongoing efforts to expand this to include part-timers as well; and she discusses the urgent need to invest in expanding the citys light-rail public transport system, and to bring economic development plans to fruition in poorer parts of the city.

Phoenixs example shows that when politicians address real-life concerns of ordinary people, the politics of a place can change rapidly and profoundly for the better. Thats the lesson the Arizona GOP, with its phony audits and its dozens of voter suppression bills, cant stand. As it can no longer win elections on the merits, it is trying to secure power by rigging the system to curtail the franchise.

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The Arizona GOPs Attack on Democracy - The Nation

During his anything-but-typical address to a joint session of Congress, President Biden used the word democracy, over and over again.

Some were run-of-the-mill evocations, as was the case when he spoke of revitalizing our democracy a promise made by more than one more president, and a bromide meant to soothe the nations soul. Others were more grave, as when he spoke of the Jan. 6 sacking of the U.S. Capitol, calling it the worst attack on our democracy since the Civil War.

But one mention of democracy in Bidens prime-time address really stood out. It came toward the end, as he spoke of the challenges facing the country as it stares down geopolitical allies who are hoping for our failure as a nation. But he could just as well have been speaking of the forces at home who similarly are hoping for his administration to fail, abetted by the aspiring autocrat in exile in south Florida.

Can our democracy deliver on the most pressing needs of our people? Can our democracy overcome the lies, anger, hate and fears that have pulled us apart? Americas adversaries, the autocrats of the world, are betting we cant, Biden said. But we have to prove them wrong. We have to prove democracy still works, that our government still works, and we can deliver for our people.

Its no secret that democracies around the world are under siege, and that the promises of authoritarian regimes are appealing to a certain segment of the population.

Look no further than the surging popularity of French presidential candidate Marine LePen. On Capitol Hill, there are such Trump-aligned Republicans as Rep. Scott Perry of Pennsylvania, who recently pushed the repulsive replacement theory during a House committee hearing.

Future historians will judge how democratic governments around the world respond to these threats. And the price of failure is high.

During his speech, Biden again appealed to Republicans to join in working to find compromise on the sweeping reimagining of the economy thats been the hallmark of his first 100 days. But he also made clear that he was ready to move on without them.

I just want to be clear, from my perspective, doing nothing is not an option. Look, we cant be so busy competing with one another that we forget the competition that we have with the rest of the world to win the 21st century, he said, warning that Chinese President Xi Jinping is deadly earnest on becoming the most significant, consequential nation in the world. He and others, autocrats, think that democracy cant compete in the 21st century with autocracies because it takes too long to get consensus.

He made the same appeal to Americans, particularly those who did not vote for him, to join in that effort, evoking President Franklin D. Roosevelt as he did so: in America, we do our part. We all do our part. Thats all Im asking. That we do our part, all of us. If we do that, well meet the central challenge of the age by proving that democracy is durable and strong. Autocrats will not win the future. We will. America will. And the future belongs to America.

In any other time, an American president would not be required to make such an emotional and urgent appeal for his fellow citizens to rally around, and support, the foundational values of our nation, the ones that we drum into our childrens heads in civics class.

But as the last four years, capped off by the eruption of violence and treason at the Capitol on Jan. 6, have shown, these are not ordinary times. And while Biden evoked the memory of Americas 32nd president to make his case, Ill evoke the memory of another, the 16th, from whom Republicans, who have wandered so far, to make mine.

Speaking in Gettysburg, Pa. on Nov. 19, 1863, President Lincoln exhorted Americans to highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth.

Thats the debt we owe those weve lost during the COVID-19 pandemic; for the American service members who laid down their lives to preserve our democracy. Thats the democracy that Biden is betting on.

And then, as now, it will take all of us to make sure that American democracy survives.

An award-winning political journalist, John L. Micek is Editor-in-Chief of The Pennsylvania Capital-Star in Harrisburg, Pa. Email him at jmicek@penncapital-star.com and follow him on Twitter @ByJohnLMicek.

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Biden says he wants all of us working on Democracy - Bainbridge Island Review

Aneesh Sompalli

Martinsburg

America was founded on a promise of democratic representation, a system where one person receives one vote, and people have the power to choose their leaders.

But over the past decade, weve seen that process co-opted by special interests and dark money groups trying to subvert our democracy, twisting it to their advantage while everyday Americans are left behind. The U.S. Senate needs to put a stop to this blatant corruption by passing the For the People Act, a landmark package of anti-corruption and reforms that will return power back to the hands of its rightful owners the American people.

Currently our electoral system favors those with the most spending power. The more money an individual, corporation, or special interest group has, the more theyre able to amplify their voice. From the deceptive attack ads that pollute our airwaves during election season to the deep-pocketed lobbyists that roam our halls of power, its hard not to see the negative impact of dark money on our democracy. All the while, everyday Americans are seeing their right to vote eroded as their voices are drowned out by the deluge.

No one should be able to buy their way into power, plain and simple. The For the People Act would put an end to dark money, closing the loopholes that special interest groups currently leverage to spend unlimited amounts of money in our electoral process without ever disclosing a single donor. This will, in turn, help to crack down on political corruption on both sides of the aisle, restoring trust and transparency in our government.

The For the People Act would also strengthen and protect our right to vote, making sure that all eligible Americans can make their voices heard without the diluting effect of dark money and by ensuring unimpeded access to the ballot box. This is especially important for West Virginians, many of whom rely on early voting programs to cast their vote ahead of Election Day.

This isnt a political issue its a matter of preserving our very democracy. How can our country claim to be a beacon of democratic ideals when weve let our own system crumble under the pressure of special interests, corruption and dark money?

Theres nothing democratic about a system that allows those with the most money to gain the most influence. We need to protect our democracy from these pernicious forces and pass the For the People Act. And its clear that the American people agree 83%, including nearly three-fourths of Republicans, support the For the People Acts sensible reforms.

With popular opinion and common decency on their side, its time for the U.S. Senate to act and pass the For the People Act immediately. We cant allow special interests and dark money groups to corrupt our electoral process any longer.

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For the People Act needed to save democracy - Martinsburg Journal

A quote from Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell on May 5: One hundred percent of my focus is on standing up to this (Biden) administration. What we have in the United States Senate is total unity from Susan Collins to Ted Cruz in opposition to what the new Biden administration is trying to do to this country.

Then-Majority Leader McConnell said this in 2010 about then-President Barack Obama: The single most important thing we (Republicans) want to achieve is for President Obama to be a one-term president. What was President Obama trying to do to this country?

Minority Leader McConnell has directly connected Susan Collins to Ted Cruz, and to the notion that there can be no option other than rejectionist Republicanism. Its too late to reject Susan Collins this time, but we must remember: This is not our parents Republican Party.

I am frightened for our United States.

Richard DanaCape Elizabeth

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Letter to the editor: McConnell maintains focus on undercutting democracy - pressherald.com

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When does a crisis response become a permanent shift in democratic culture?

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Skip-the-democracy, anyone? Uber edicts?

Life will not be the same after the pandemic. Companies will do more meetings via video call than in person, saving tens of thousands of dollars for corporations and putting thousands of low-paid hospitality staff permanently out of work. Restaurant workers might face the same predicament. What will happen to those Korean barbecue places, which have you cook their food in their restaurants, when all sorts of services will deliver their food for you to cook at home?

Will our democracy be the same?

We have lived a year in which parliamentary democracy and judicial review have been almost entirely usurped by decrees. Much of that has been by the cabinet, using its regulatory powers under various public health and quarantine laws. Other decrees have been made by public health officials themselves, who are not elected.

These measures have largely not been debated in the legislatures, even ex post, let alone ex ante. Very few measures have been passed by statute, let alone been subject to the usual committee hearings and review.

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Will our democracy be the same?

It took almost a year before any of the measures were tested in court for their constitutionality.

Fair enough, emergencies are emergencies and all governments are permitted to move quickly when needed. Democracy can be slow; indeed, it is meant to be slow enough to permit dissenting views to be heard, for debates to be had, for a consensus to develop.

After a year though, when does an emergency mentality shift simply into a change of mentality altogether? When does a crisis response become a permanent shift in democratic culture?

The peoples will has not been thwarted, at least according to survey data. Pandemic restrictions have proved massively popular. There is a considerable constituency which desires more severe and longer measures. It would appear that, in numerical terms, the stricter constituency is larger than those arguing against the lockdowns.

Governments accustomed to imposing their will by fiat, enjoying enormous public support in doing so, may not be so keen to go back to the messiness of parliamentary government. Much more congenial to be a pharaoh than a first minister. At least for the pharaoh.

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Indeed, in Ontario, a member of the government caucus, Roman Baber, wrote an open letter expressing his disagreement with government policy. His view was certainly in the minority, but was hardly out of the mainstream of global pandemic debate. He was tossed out of caucus by Premier Doug Ford. I doubt Ontarios premier-cum-pharaoh will pay any political price for that; if anything it was the popular move. But will our political system pay a price, when the governing party does not have room for a modest range of views?

Courts always lag behind legislatures in acting as a check or balance to the exercise of government power. But a year is a long time for fundamental freedoms to be restricted without sufficient review. That is not so much a court problem as a democratic culture problem. Courts can only deal with cases brought to them by aggrieved parties. Canadians, by and large, are not aggrieved.

British Columbia abolished religious freedom last November, and that case was heard in March. The government prevailed on restricting religious liberty, but was told it could no longer ban outdoor protests. This week, a coalition of evangelical churches is challenging Manitobas restrictions in court. Thats about it on the court front.

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Much more congenial to be a pharaoh than a first minister

Canadas charter does not offer absolute protection of fundamental freedoms. Section 1 makes those rights subject only to such reasonable limits prescribed by law as can be demonstrably justified in a free and democratic society.

Reasonable limits? A healthy democratic culture permits a discussion about that. Shutting down alternative views in the name of the science at least until the science changes means that reason has been subjugated to politics more often than we would like to admit. That is what the Charter is supposed to prevent.

Prescribed by law? Does extended government by decree meet that standard? It likely does meet a minimal legal standard. But the political culture witness the federal government exempting itself from presenting any budget to Parliament in 2020 is moving away from prescription of law to the proclivities of the powerful.

Demonstrably justified? The constitutional standard requires that abrogating fundamental freedoms must not only be justified, but demonstrably so. Its not enough to simply say that saving lives is the overriding concern. It must be demonstrated. In a court action, that means to the satisfaction of the judges. More broadly, in a healthy democracy those making the decrees ought to demonstrate to the citizenry that emergency suppression of rights is required, and is being done in the least burdensome manner possible.

A free and democratic society? The charter presumes that Canada is such. It has been much less so during the pandemic, for understandable reasons. But will it remain free and democratic afterward?

National Post

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Raymond J. de Souza: Will we still be skipping the democracy post-pandemic? - National Post