The 2000 presidential election should have warned American voters about the legitimacy of our future elections. This sad event will go down in history as one of the darkest times in America’s history.

If you’re too young to remember, the contestants were Democrat Al Gore, who was the outgoing vice-president, and George W. Bush, a former Texas governor whose only accomplishment was executing more men and women than any other governor of the Lone Star state in history.

As the votes were counted on election day, the outcome was “too close to call.” The results came down to a single state. Florida’s electoral votes would decide who would occupy the White House for the next four years.

Florida’s election system was antiquated and flawed. The final outcome would come from the results of one county. A recount was ordered. Election day in 2000 was November 7^th. However, the winner was not decided until December 12^th, when the Supreme Court of the United States ordered an end to the recount. In a 5-4 decision, in an unprecedented step by the third branch of our government, the SCOTUS declared Bush the winner. Bush received 271 electoral votes: Al Gore, 266. More importantly, Gore won the people’s mandate by more than 500,000 votes.

I remember every detail of this sham election. Al Gore had been elected President of the United States, but it was taken away by the SCOTUS.

The rest we know. Bush was incompetent, and his vice-president controlled every decision made in the Oval Office. Dick Cheney’s arrogance and greed placed our nation in two unwinnable wars, and the fiscal policy of Ronald Reagan once again destroyed our nation’s economy. Trickle-down economics made the rich, richer, and the working class poorer. Bush ignored warnings about the threat from Al Qaeda, and lies from his administration resulted in the invasion of a nation which had nothing to do with the attacks on 9/11. Bush 43 left office in 2009 with a growing unemployment rate, a nation engaged in two unwinnable wars, and a recession which neared another depression.

If the 2000 election wasn’t an attack on our democracy, let’s move forward to the debacle in 2016.

First, I would be neglecting the facts if I failed to condemn the Republican primaries and the failure of the media to report the truth. The fact that Russia interfered in the election process was important, but we’ll discuss that later.

Donald John Trump declared his candidacy in June of 2015. Most Americans laughed. DJT was well-known as a braggart and buffoon with little or no talent for anything: he was a New York socialite. He also had a well-deserved reputation as a ‘womanizer.’

There were 16 other presidential wannabes including senators, as well as current and former governors. Also in the race was a businesswoman, a neurosurgeon, and a Christian minister. The “clown car” was filled to 100 percent occupancy. With the first “debate,” it was obvious that DJT’s only tactic was to personally attack his opponents and the incompetent moderators. Not once throughout 12 debates were the issues discussed.

Millions of Republican voters believed the lies from DJT and his campaign staff, and accepted his racist rhetoric as an opportunity to move our nation backwards to a better time for bigoted white voters.

One by one his adversaries withdrew until only the most hated senator in America, Ted Cruz, and Ohio Governor John Kasich remained. Only Kasich attempted to discuss the issues, but only a few Republicans appeared to care.

The rest is history. Trump was allowed to become the Republican nominee in July of 2016 although most leaders of the GOP had denounced him as unfit, and immoral. The “anyone but Trump” effort had failed.

In October, just one month before election day, November 8, 2016, the leaders of our nation’s government learned that Russia was making efforts to assist DJT in his effort to become the leader of 320 million Americans. America’s voters were not allowed to know the truth. As the television media continued to hold the Democratic nominee, Hillary Clinton, to an impossibly high standard, while giving DJT a free pass, it was notable that Trump received five-times more television coverage than all other candidates combined. The final blow happened just 11 days before the election when FBI Director James Comey announced a reopening of the investigation into Hillary’s use of a private e-mail server.

Trump’s victory in the Electoral College was illegitimate. Hillary defeated Trump in the popular vote by three million ballots. We, the people, did not choose our president. A small group of men and women placed our nation in great danger and the people of our nation are facing the end of democracy.

Two men, who will forever rank as the first and second worst presidents in history, did not legitimately win the opportunity to lead our nation.

Since Reagan, Republicans have proven that they are unqualified to lead our nation. They do not believe in America and long ago abandoned the principles and ideals of the once Grand Old Party.

Get involved; become informed. This is your country and politicians who refuse to serve all Americans do not deserve your loyalty or your votes.

The Truth Lives Here

Op-ed by James Turnage

My eight novels, including “A Brother’s Revenge,” are exclusively available on Amazon; CLICK HERE; the Kindle app is a free download