经济学人下载:特朗普拒不承认败选,美国危矣(3)

Yet the equivocations now portend a Republican Party that remains firmly under the grips of post-truth Trumpism. This may be a rational strategy in the short term to ensure the president campaigns in the coming, critical Senate run-offs in Georgia. But it will probably last beyond that. Mr Trump will relish his role as kingmaker who anoints the winner of Republican primary contests by tweet. The president has reportedly also been talking of running in 2024, which would effectively freeze the next generation of Republicans in place. 

然而，这样的模棱两可的说法预示着共和党仍牢牢掌握在后真相的特朗普主义控制之下。从短期来看，这可能是一个合理的策略，能够确保总统在乔治亚州即将到来的重要参议院决选中发挥作用。但持续下去很可能就难说了。特朗普很享受自己作为“国王缔造者”的角色，通过推特推选共和党初选的赢家。据报道，特朗普还提及将在2024年参选，这将有效地阻止下一代共和党人就位。

Hyperpartisanship has wreaked havoc on American politics, but at least most voters could agree that the other side won fairly and squarely. That no longer appears to be the case. According to our latest poll from YouGov, 88% of those who voted for Mr Trump think that the election result is illegitimate. There are always some gripes after hotly contested races. But the scale this time—like Mr Trump’s refusal to acknowledge the results—is breathtaking.

极度党派之争曾经对美国政治造成了严重的破坏，但至少大多数选民会认同另一方是光明正大地获胜。然而情况似乎不再如此。根据YouGov的最新民调，投票支持特朗普的选民中有88%认为选举结果不合法。激烈的竞选活动总会激发一些人的不满。但就像特朗普拒绝承认大选结果一样，此次的抱怨规模惊人。

During the much-closer election in 2000, where 537 votes in Florida separated winner from loser, 36% of Mr Gore’s voters thought the result was illegitimate. Similarly, 23% of supporters of Hillary Clinton felt fleeced after her election loss in 2016. Perhaps as the weeks wear on, and Mr Biden inches closer to inauguration, the number of Republicans who see him as illegitimate will shrink. But Mr Trump seems unlikely to ever concede, and would rather establish the myth of his stolen election as a new lost cause among his supporters. If that happens, it would add a dangerous strain to America’s factionalism—one that cannot be easily contained. 

在2000年的大选中，选举结果更为接近，获胜者以537张选票的优势拿下佛罗里达州，36%的支持戈尔的选民认为选举结果不合法。同样，希拉里·克林顿在2016年的选举失利后，23%的支持者感到受骗。也许随着时间的推移，离拜登举行就职典礼越来越近，认为他胜选不合法的共和党人的数量将会减少。但特朗普似乎不太可能承认败选，他更愿意向他的支持者们散布不实信息，将自己被窃取的选举果实描述为一项新的注定会失败的事业。如果这种情况发生，将给美国的派系斗争施加一种危险的难以遏制的压力。