Theoretically speaking, the United States will be having a presidential election in 2024. Everybody acts as if it’s a sure thing. Political “horse race” coverage dominates the news. Debates, rallies and candidate speeches take place. Newspapers and TV news outlets publish polling results every few days. Everybody’s familiar with the ritual, and everybody plays along.
That’s the whole point of rituals. All the solemn mummery of holding a presidential election, right down to the balloons and silly hats, exists to reassure the public that everything will be all right. That’s why phony democratic elections are the essence of dictatorial regimes around the world.
