Saturday, January 6, 2024

January 6-7, 2024: 2024 Anniversaries: The 1824 Election

[As I’ve done for each of the last few years, this week I’ve started 2024 by AmericanStudying a few anniversaries for the new year. Leading up to this special post on the 200th anniversary of a frustratingly familiar election.]

I wrote at length about the controversial 1824 election and what it might (and hopefully won’t) foreshadow about the 2020 and 2024 presidential elections in this post. Much of what I’d want to say today is captured there, so I’d ask you to check out that prior post if you would and then come on back here for one more thought.

Welcome back! As that post and many others I’ve written reflect clearly, I’m no fan of Andrew Jackson, but I would nonetheless note a couple distinct differences between him and The Former Guy who is hoping 2024 will be a repeat of 1824: I believe Jackson was truly dedicated to expanding democracy and opportunities to working-class white Americans; and as far as I know he never commissioned nor committed over acts of treason against the United States. The latter is why I believe all Americans of conscience have to oppose Trump’s reelection campaign; and the former is why it’s so frustrating to me that many working-class Americans see Trump as someone who likewise has their best interests at heart, whereas he has demonstrated time and time again that his only interests are those of himself and his close criminal cohort. And yet, the one definite commonality between these two figures—full-throated endorsements of white supremacy at every turn—might just be enough to return Trump to the presidency that it already helped him gain once. Let’s hope that’s not a 2024 prediction!

Next series starts Monday,

Ben

PS. What do you think?

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