Columns, Politics

The Best of Us: In the Midst of a Rage Election, a Reason to Have Hope

Below is my column in Fox.com on the rising rage in this election. This week, New York Gov. Kathy Hochul added her voice to the rage and said that anyone voting for Trump is “anti American.” Despite such statements, I found a reason to be hopeful in a brief encounter on my way to New York for the election coverage.

Here is the column:

When President Joe Biden took the podium in his hometown of Scranton, Pa., to campaign for Vice President Kamala Harris, many expected a return to the “self-professed unifier” Biden from the 2020 election, particularly after his recent comments calling tens of millions of Trump supporters “garbage.”  If so, they were disappointed when it turned out to be the “take him behind the Gym” Biden. Speaking through clenched teeth, Biden seethed that he wanted to “smack [Trump] in the ass.” Even with the Harris campaign alarmed over his costly gaffes, Biden clearly could not resist the rage. He is not alone.

This entire election seems to be a type of political roid rage. In my book, “The Indispensable Right: Free Speech in an Age of Rage,” I discuss how rage rhetoric and rage politics have long been part of our history. Politicians will often intentionally trigger rage to rally voters not in support of their policies but in opposition to their opponents.

However, Biden’s seeming inability to keep his rage in check is a common feature of this rage politics. As I wrote in the book, “rage is liberating, even addictive. It allows us to say and do things that we would ordinarily avoid, even denounce in others.” It is also contagious. Across the country, people are yelling at neighbors, tearing down signs, and even assaulting each other. What they are unwilling to admit is that they enjoy the rage. They like it.

As someone who has written about rage rhetoric and covered presidential elections for over two decades for different networks, I should be accustomed to these scenes. I am not. From the scenes outside of the Trump trial in Manhattan to the scenes outside of political rallies in Virginia, I find the rage depressing and deflating.

However, in flying to New York this weekend to join the Fox election coverage, I had a moment of real hope. I was driven to the airport by a man who told me that he was just months from his citizenship and how he and his wife were so thankful to soon be U.S. citizens. He came from a Middle Eastern nation where he long admired the United States for its freedoms, particularly the freedom of speech. Indeed, in his home country, he constantly ran into trouble with his government and was warned by his imam that he had to stop acting “like an American” by speaking his mind.

He could not shut up, so he decided to become an American instead.

He then told me how confused he and his wife are by this election. They love the United States and cannot understand why people are so hateful and angry. “It is like they do not understand what they have here,” he noted.

Listening to him over the course of our ride, I started to feel something that I had not felt in a while: real hope.

Sometimes, our truest citizens are found among our newest converts. As I discuss in my book, the problem with our democracy is that most citizens grew up in a nation where basic rights like the freedom of speech are guaranteed. They have never known the absence of such rights. This man and his wife have. They were not born here. They had to escape their country at great peril and cost to become U.S. citizens. They chose us and what we stand for.

They follow other great Americans drawn to these shores by something unique about this country. One was Tom Paine. The man who was credited with rallying a nation behind a revolution only landed upon these shores two years before the Declaration of Independence. His rocketing to fame with the publication of Common Sense enraged some, like John Adams, who viewed him as an unkempt, unknown rabble-rouser.

Yet, it was precisely Paine’s immigration that gave his words such clarity and power. He saw this emerging nation as unique for all of humanity, a nation where citizens could live free without the calcified social, economic, and political limits of the Old World. His voice resonated with this nation because it was so genuine and authentic.

I heard that same voice on my way to the airport. Sometimes, it takes the newest among us to remind us who we are to not only the rest of the world but also to each other.

I do not know what is coming out of that gate on election night. I have been there before. However, half of this country is going to be very, very upset either way this goes. What we need to struggle to remember is that this election does not define us. The rage does not define us. We defined ourselves almost 250 years ago and do so every day that new citizens like my new friend come to these shores. There is hope in who we are . . . even if we forget sometimes.

Jonathan Turley is a Fox News Media contributor and the Shapiro Professor of Public Interest Law at George Washington University. He is the author of “The Indispensable Right: Free Speech in an Age of Rage” (Simon & Schuster, June 18, 2024).

337 thoughts on “The Best of Us: In the Midst of a Rage Election, a Reason to Have Hope”

  3. As I scan the headlines, I can say, what a beautiful morning it is!! Even if it is raining. A truly great day for America! President elect Trump it is!

    1. Upstate – It is definitely a glorious day. Freedom is alive and well. Common sense has returned.

      1. Despite the rain, I took the dogs for a extra long walk. Heard a ring necked pheasant. Saw two pheasant hens. Good sign as I have seen them off and on the past few days. They stick around next year and make my fields into a breeding ground, might be able to hunt them in a few years. Even the sound of the rain was beautiful.

      2. * not until it hits 80 percent of the senate and house…then everyone can take a break.

  4. Well, Mr. Franklin, we still have a republic. With any luck, we might get another 232 years, but this was too close for comfort.

    1. The USA needs a civil war. Fight the socialists. communist, marxists in our midst. Better still send them in arfat to the Peoples Republic of China. Send Walz and Harris over first. Then Bernie. AOC and her crazy girlfriends.

  7. Thank God
    Trump has his work ahead
    Free the J6 prisoners
    Expose the Truth 2020
    Change our trajectory towards goodness
    Rise above

  8. See how hard a man will work when you make it that he will go to prison if he doesn’t win an election.

  9. “If Trump does win I think he should fuel his jet and give a free courtesy flight to all the celebrities who vowed to leave the country if he won.”

    He should contact Miguel Díaz-Canel Bermúdez to try to get permission to allow them into Cuba (although I doubt that even that Marxist dystopia wants them).

  10. Bernie Sanders and Ray Epps in 2028!!! Only they can transform America into a Marxist Deep State Brutalitarian Regime!

  11. Yeah America is a great country. Some of us were very upset to see it being turned into the third world. I don’t see why that’s so hard to understand.

    1. The pissed off majority has spoken loudly to the likes of Dennis, Gigi and George. Listen up, libturds: you’re done.

  12. The sore loser Kamala wont concede until tomorrow, or even address her supporters.

    Who is surprised? She is a hateful, entitled POS, just like Hillary.

    Hey Kamala, there is no 3:45 AM magic ballot suitcase to save you this time.

    1. Even the 3:45 AM Mail-In Ballot Demographic has had enough of the Democrats. This base, consisting of deceased voters, underage voters, illegal alien voters, out-of-state voters, death row voters, and homeless voters living in tents, has had enough of the Democrats. “They won’t take our votes for granted anymore,” said 12-year old Juan Valdez, an illegal alien from Mexico who crossed the border on November 3. “We’re tired of being lied to,” Juan added.

    2. I’m not going to write off how she ends her campiagn quite so quickly. She has one last chance to be relevant and receive a final beneficial judgement from history. If she reverses her campaign style Wednesday morning, graciously concedes, and encourages the entire country to work together with Trump, she can salvage an acceptable end to her career. I’m not optimistic: that doesn’t seem to be her style; and she would almost certainly need to disregard the advice of many, if not all, of her advisors, to do that. But I am hopeful, and willing to give her that last opportunity to make a graceful exit.

  13. Just how STUPID would one have to be to believe that they could replace a senile, promise breaking, divisive white dude with a brain dead, unserious, divisive black woman, whose approval ratings were even LOWER than his, and think she actually had any chance whatsoever???

    All of those polls that showed she was ever leading were total horseshit frauds and hoaxes.

  14. Hey libturds, you now have a convicted felon for President.

    But look, you still have your dead babies, drag queen story hour, and sexual mutilation of minors. At least for now.

    1. It appears to be possible to breath again.

      But it is also time to be gracious.
      There is no need to spike the ball – voters have done so quietly and conclusively.

      Democrats need to do an autopsy and figure out why they did not connect.

      The rest of us can not tell them – even if we are right.
      They must understand their own problems to fix them.

      1. Naw, its time to spike the football. These people labeled us as evil and all manner of other things.

        Autopsy my ass. Juan williams last night INSISTED that Kamala lost strictly due to racism and misogyny. He is a very smart man who is up to his eyeballs in kool aid. How could he not see what a horrible candidate Kamala was?

        Chuck Todd…”we need to look at how we target certain groups”.. idiot. Thats the Dems whole problem. Its all about pandering to certain groups.

        These fvxkers will blame EVERYTHING except their policies.

      2. John Say,
        I agree. It is more classy to be a gracious winner. And Trump and even us, have real work on our hands.
        I noted to my wife this morning, Christmas is back on! We are also going to support the Trump win by dinning out once a week at a local restaurant.

      3. Absolutely! They don’t see how we could possibly not like their agenda. Our country needs us and the conservative media to be calm, gracious and carry on. I do think some of them including the media will not take this well though. The Congress and President need to not squander this mandate and get things done that will help solve our problems!! No more heated rhetoric!!!

  15. Thank you for pointing out the beauty of America that most do not appreciate. I am as well from middle eastern country and am so very grateful for what America is so generously and selflessly provide me. I do feel it every single day of my 50 years living in America.
    I must tell you that I had similar comments to what you are talking about with my son as we were returning from voting.
    Please keep reminding people of this unique beauty as America.

  17. Hey liberals on this site…still want to discuss getting rid pf the filibuster?

    1. Republicans should

      Eliminate the Filibuster

      Pack the supreme court with the most radical judges they can find, who will rubber stamp EVERYTHING they do

      After packing the court, fix the number of justices at 19 by law

      Fix the number of states at 50 by law.

      Pass HR-2 immigration bill

      15 week abortion ban nationwide(just to fvxk the loud mouth stooges who wouldnt let it go)

      Pass nationwide voter id and proof of citizenship req’s

      Pass nationwide no mail in balloting

      Pass anything else from project 2025 that they want, since the libturds asked for it.

      Then, just before the midterms, pass a LAW establishing the filibuster.

      1. Rather than pack SCOTUS, I would prefer introduction of a Constitutional Amendment to fix the number either at nine, or at seven (next two retiring justices would not be replaced). I’m only agreeable to fixing the number of states at fifty if that is characterized as a maximum. If NY, NJ, CA, etc. want out, they shouldn’t be hindered.

  19. Looks like Maddow needs to pack her bags for a flight to a non extradition country.

    She was sooooooo afraid Trump is coming for her. Why is she still here??

    And I cant wait to watch that skank Nicole Wallace drink her tears.

  20. Great column and remember we Americans always have hope. It’s precisely why we care so deeply and rage so fervently. As the good Mr. Paine reminds us: “We have it in our power to begin the world over again”.

    Indeed, we always do. Let freedom ring!

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