Issue 27 | Retrospect Journal | Prejudice and Pandemics | Feature were a strong reminder of where Trump stands.
the pandemic was resoundingly clear. More important than the 1918 midterms then perhaps, The other major theme of the 2020 election is was the 1920 presidential election. Harding, the of course, Coronavirus. During the 1918 flu Republican who would go on to win, called for a pandemic, Woodrow Wilson never publicly return to ‘normalcy’, amid social and political upspoke about it in the US, despite suffering from heaval. Wilson had failed in his promise to preit himself. Many comparisons have been made vent US involvement in World War I and failed in throughout the year comparing 2020’s pandem- his negotiations of the Treaty of Versailles. Hardic to the one of 1918. The pandemic did impact ing’s win in 1920 saw the biggest margin in popthe midterm election, with very low turnout rates, ular vote in presidential history, suggesting that mandatory mask wearing, and less in-person perhaps Trump’s loss was less surprising given campaigning. However, the 1918 pandemic historical context. pre-dates welfare, the Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, and any form of Medicare Given the examples of how prejudice impacted or Medicaid. In 2020, we recognise the need for the 1964 election, and the pandemic in 1920, governmental involvement and regulation to limit the 2020 Presidential election seems somewhat the damaging impact of COVID-19. Whilst many less unique. Trump’s failure to denounce white Western countries have failed to prioritise col- supremacy, his incitement of violence, and prilective security over personal freedom, the US marily white base all cost him significantly as did is unique in how politicised preventative meas- Goldwater’s failure to denounce extremism and ures have become. Throughout his campaigning reliance on white southerners as his base. Equalin the summer, Trump refused to wear a mask; ly, Wilson’s refusal to comment on the Spanish held large, infectious rallies (like that in Tulsa); flu and massive failure at the polls in 1920 are and declared the US as ‘re-opened’ at the end of an example of how poor handling of a virus can April. Even when recovering from his own bout severely impact the polls. Trump’s failure to act of the virus, Trump downplayed its severity to the on Coronavirus, however, was much more signifAmerican public. Elections against an incumbent icant in 2020, as society has acknowledged the tend to be a referendum on their presidency, and need for big government. in 2020 the referendum on Trump’s handling of
Image: Postal ballot with fabric mask, 2020. Photography by Tiffany Tertipes. Source: Unsplash [https://unsplash.com/photos/Y2Vxsb75RVo]
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