h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

[the following originated as an email to my brother, but I think it deserves a wider audience]

I've been reading about Mike Pence.

I've also read about the insurrection in Washington, D.C. Pence and
Pelosi could have been assassinated.

The pundits seem to think that Pence has no political future. Trump
supporters think he's a traitor for presiding over the Senate count of
electoral votes. Trump opponents say that that's the *only* time he
ever did what trump didn't want him to do.

Take your pick.

A poll on the afternoon of the event has 62% of Americans agreeing
that it was a threat to democracy. Even among Republicans, 43% did not
support the mob's actions, while 45% did.
http://today.yougov.com/topics/politics/articles-reports/2021/01/06/US-capitol-trump-poll

A poll on January 15 says "68% of public does not want Trump to remain
a major political figure in the future." Trump has lowest-ever job
ratings, and Biden i viewed more positively.
http://www.pewresearch.org/politics/2021/01/15/biden-begins-presidency-with-positive-ratings-trump-departs-with-lowest-ever-job-mark/

Trump's job rating among voters is now 29%.

Only a quarter of voters think Trump bears no responsibility for what happened.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-55689840

I just hope that some "Richard Head" through his actions throughout, doesn't start a 2nd civil war

It's hard to know what to say.

Where were these people when they were in high school, studying civics and American history? The ones who are old enough to remember the Nixon/Kennedy election must surely know that Nixon didn't make an issue of of voting irregularities in a southern state that could have swung the election to him. He put the good of the country ahead of his own good.

If your party loses an election, chances are it will have a good shot four years later, when voters have tired of the winner. Hillary Clinton got 2.87 more votes than Trump did in 2016, but was gracious about losing in the electoral college. This month's protesters only see one side: their own. It isn't the country's good that they value, it's their own.

I've been following the insurrection news.

Many have been making comparisons with the American Civil War and the Lincoln election.

There was an important precursor to that, troops had to be called out to suppress rioters turning out to 'celebrate' Andrew Jackson's win on the occasion of his first inauguration, at a moment in time when people were not yet making a clear distinction between Jackson and his problem Vice President, Calhoun, who ran on a separate ticket from Jackson under the electoral laws of the time.

Calhoun quickly developed a habit of using his own newspaper to undermine Jackson at every turn.

Jackson turned to his campaign manager for advice, whom in turn recommended that jackson create his own newspaper to counter Calhoun, who was an important proponent of the nullification doctrine, which was in turn later an important root of the American Civil War.

Jackson responded by hiring Blair as chief editor of Jackson's own newspaper, which gave rise to the 'kitchen cabinet' controversy, a reference to Calhoun party protests over Jackson consulting with his campaign manager on national affairs and creating a de facto press office.

Calhoun was indisputably one of the architects of secession.

During the Lincoln era, a by this time aged Blair moved into Lincoln's camp.

The political divide between Jackson and Calhoun has deeper roots, going back to the initial separation of North Carolina and South Carolina in pre-revolutionary times coming back with a periodicity about like half a lifetime to haunt our national politics ever since.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-55689840

I just hope! None are needed...

Apologies for double link