Senator Ben Sasse was no fan of Donald Trump during the primary and general elections of 2016. The idea that Trump is the person being sworn in as the 45th president of the United States probably fills the Nebraskan with more trepidation and anxiety than joy and hope.
That’s what makes his video message about the awesome wonder of the American presidency and the peaceful transfer of power so powerful.
Sasse explains the early history of the presidency and the contentious election of 1800 to contextualize how incredible (and rare) the inauguration process in America is and why we should all take a moment to appreciate it today. Sasse focuses on the fact that Thomas Jefferson, of the newly created Democratic Republican Party, had unseated a sitting president, John Adams, of an opposing political party, the Federalists. Sasse’s thesis is that the peaceful transition from one political party to the other (the first since Adams was of the same party as his predecessor, George Washington) is the perfect illustration of what America achieved in the early days of the republic.
It’s a great video and Sasse should be commended. But he could have gone even further in his focus on the 1800 election and drawn a direct comparison the today’s events. True, Jefferson defeated Adams, but the real contest for President was between Jefferson and Aaron Burr, a fellow Democratic Republican. The two tied in the electoral college and the election went to the House of Representatives where members wrangled for seven days and cast thirty five separate ballots before finally reaching the absolute majority of ten states in favor of Jefferson.
Considering the divide in our nation (as well as the divide within Sasse’s Republican Party) it’s even more impressive that we would all come together and witness today’s civilized and peaceful event. And given his own personal reluctance to support Trump for the office he’s about to assume, the message in Sasse’s powerful tribute resonates that much more.
