Congressman Jared Golden recently said this upcoming election “should not be misleadingly portrayed as a struggle between democracy or authoritarianism,” and that assertions to the contrary are “hyperbolic threats.”

I put it to the congressman to answer the following for his constituents: what are we to call a scheme whereby a sitting president — under the authority of absolutely nobody at all — gets groups of people together in seven states to falsely proclaim themselves as duly-appointed by their respective state legislatures, has them submit to Congress fraudulent certificates to that effect, and then enjoins his own vice president to count those instead of the genuine electoral votes?

Would we characterize that as a democratic scheme, or an authoritarian one? And what inferences might we therefore draw about the present Republican nominee?

I hope Mr. Golden answers, but as he has ignored my private correspondence on the matter, I am not hopeful.

Kyle Gray, Greene