Trump’s Pennsylvania lawsuits invoke Bush v. Gore – but the Supreme Court probably won’t decide the 2020 election

The Trump campaign has filed two lawsuits in federal court over ballot counting and voting deadlines in Pennsylvania, threatening to take the election to the Supreme Court. Both consciously echo the two main legal theories of Bush v. Gore, the infamous Supreme Court case that decided the contested 2000 presidential election.

AUSTIN, TX. Nov. 7, 2020. Simultaneous demonstrations in support of President-elect Joe Biden and current President Donald Trump face off in front of the Texas State Capitol in downtown Austin following the announcement of the presidential elections. Photos Gabriel C. Pérez/KUT

But this race is not likely to be decided by the Supreme Court.

There are several reasons, sitting at the intersection of law and politics, why the ghosts of Florida past won’t rise again in Pennsylvania. As a law professor who’s authored a book on election reform, I rate success in Trump’s efforts to wrench back Biden’s lead through litigation as a real long shot, though not out of the question. read more

The People Have Spoken!

Major wins for democracy in the Americas have occurred in the past two months: in Bolivia and Chile in October, extending into the November 3 U.S. elections. Toward Freedom salutes the citizens of all three countries for their determination to defeat authoritarianism. We hope the following images will serve as inspiration to progressive forces around the world.

In Bolivia: a near-landslide victory occurred for the left-wing Movimiento al socialismo (MAS) and its presidential candidate, Luis Arce, in the country’s national elections in mid-October. read more

An Important Message to Our Readers

The Toward Freedom Board of Directors welcomes Charlotte Dennett as our Guest Editor.

Charlotte joins us as a seasoned journalist and editor who was recently hailed as “an expert in resource-based politics” by Time magazine for her coverage of politics and resource wars in the Middle East. Her latest book, The Crash of Flight 3804 : A Lost Spy, A Daughter’s Quest, and the Deadly Politics of the Great Game for OiI is an important piece of literature for its historical reporting and personal investigation into the death by plane crash of her father, America’s first master-spy in the Middle East. read more

Overhauling U.S Foreign Policy: The Bitter Fights Ahead 

Overhauling U.S Foreign Policy: The Bitter Fights Ahead 

This article was first published in Foreign Policy in Focus and is reproduced here under a Creative Commons license. 

If Trump loses, we can’t just go back to the status quo. On foreign policy especially, movements need to be ready to push a new administration hard.

By William MinterImani Countess, October 16, 2020.

What would Biden’s policy toward Israel and Palestine look like? What should it be? Here, VP Biden addresses an AIPAC meeting. Photo .by Talk Media News Archived Galleries

The most consequential election year in most of our lifetimes has featured stark crises unspooling against a backdrop of vigorous activist mobilizations and simmering public outrage. President Trump may lose his reelection bid, but that will not be enough. We need fundamental change rather than a return to the status quo ante. read more