If Congress is to consider moving Election Day, it should be moved up

Sunday, Aug. 2, 2020 | 2 a.m.

President Donald Trump says he is thinking about postponing the presidential election. That’s not only a bad idea, it would also be illegal for him to try — only Congress has the authority to do that.

So here’s a thought. When it comes to moving the election, why doesn’t Congress do what the American people want?

How does voting next week sound?

Yes, we realize that Trump is constitutionally allowed a four-year term. But an early vote would be a loud referendum against his extremism and would end his nonsense about not abiding by the results if the election is close. Now how do you like the thought of moving the election, Mr. Trump?

Americans would love nothing better than to kick Trump out of office as soon as possible and for our nation to not have to suffer another day of his disaster of an administration.

Think about this.

We wouldn’t have to wait three more months to put an end to deployments of secret police making extrajudicial arrests in unmarked vehicles. We could bring in an administration that would listen to medical experts on the coronavirus pandemic and start actually winning the battle against the disease. In turn, that would get the economy out of its free fall and put us on a path to finally start recovering.

We could usher in new leadership that would halt Trump’s assault on the foundations of our democracy, restore the government organizations that serve as watchdogs of the executive branch, and reestablish independence of the Justice Department.

We could purge the White House of the sadistic racists who are engineering our immigration policies and protocols. We could rid ourselves of a president who bows to Russian dictator Vladimir Putin, cuddles up to other tyrants and attacks our allies.

We could oust a president who thinks he’s smarter than everyone around him because he can identify a drawing of a giraffe and repeat five simple words in the order they were said to him. We could end the purge of scientists, researchers and other dedicated public servants from our government.

Yes, please do move the election. How quickly can we get to the polls?

Make no mistake, when it comes to this year’s election, Americans are like dogs hopping around at the door when it’s time for a walk. We can’t wait to get out and send Trump packing, as shown in poll after poll showing disapproval for Trump overall and particularly for his handling of the pandemic. Meanwhile, Joe Biden is pounding Trump like a heavy bag — the former vice president is winning the fundraising race and is leading Trump in several key states, including some that Trump won handily in 2016.

All of this is making the GOP increasingly nervous about losing not only the presidency but positions up and down the ballot. Trump’s tanking numbers among suburban voters who supported him in 2016 are particularly worrisome for Republicans. They wince a little harder every time Trump makes a racially divisive remark in support of Confederate generals, or throws a tantrum and undermines Dr. Anthony Fauci because of Fauci’s approval ratings, or sends federal troops to “stop the violence” and instead they pick on mothers who are doing nothing but peacefully protesting and protecting other marchers.

He alienates more supporters and energizes more opponents at every turn.

Everyone has already made up their mind. We don’t need to see more. Ailing Americans need to know a new dawn is coming. The unemployed and American businesses need assurance that a new president will soon start repairing the GOP’s damage. Our allies need to know the long dark night of a hostile American regime is over. Our adversaries must be put on notice that their White House puppet is gone. Why should we make kids in cages or DACA recipients or climate scientists or people who believe in hope, justice and freedom wait a single day more before they know a new president is coming? Let’s vote as soon as possible and end this bleak American carnage known as the Trump administration.

This is why Trump wants to move back the election. He’s out to delay the inevitable.

Fortunately, he has neither the authority nor the support to carry out this authoritarian idea. The Constitution specifies that Congress has the power to set the date for voting, and lawmakers from both parties were quick to say there was no likelihood that Trump would get his way.

But hey, Congress, since Trump opened the door, why not kick around the thought of moving the election up? Maybe Trump would learn to be more careful about what he asks for, and Americans certainly don’t need to wait around to deliver their verdict on him.

The sooner this president goes off to where he belongs — ranting away on Twitter and relegated to the swamps of right-wing extremist media — the better. It’s well past time for this carnage to come to an end.