The Discovery Institute Commentary on the 2020 U.S. Election

Since the founding of the Discovery Institute in 1990, its home state of Washington has supported the democratic presidential candidate in every election. Regardless of the state’s political leaning, and regardless of its location in Washington’s largest city, the Discovery Institute has remained conservative as a non-profit think tank. Their staff and fellows comment on subjects of Intelligent Design, Technology, Economics, Education, Politics, and more guided by a mission of “advancing a culture of purpose, creativity, and innovation.”

In the political arena, they have published commentary on recent issues such as the election and its potential fraud, the politics of vaccine development, Critical Race Theory, and even the effects on education is an outflow of the 2020 Presidential election.

The recent article “Remedy for Election Irregularities and Vote Fraud is Found in the Constitution”, published November 19, 2020, provided commentary from The Discovery Institute on the 2020 Presidential Election. Senior fellow Scott Powell pointed out the centrality of vote-counting integrity as a pillar of valid democracy. Indeed the American government is fundamentally “of the people, by the people, for the people”—but what if the votes of the people are not rightly counted? For a democracy, the wrongdoing of voter fraud or meddling is “a sort of national suicide.” There is merit, therefore, in national attentiveness to the integrity of our vote-counting systems, as it is the lifeblood of this constitutional nation. Powell further writes that the reason for the investigation of this issue is “because honest elections are the fundamental source of legitimacy of the United States government,” and “because that legitimacy only comes from the people.”

In another Discovery Institute article, “Will it be the Hammer or the Constitution that Determines the People’s Vote?” Scott Powell again examines, in detail, the potential interferers of the election. Systems known as “THE HAMMER” and “THE SCORECARD” were pointed out as possible tools of vote tally manipulation. Born out of Dennis Montgomery’s Al-Qaeda penetration system, developed in the early 2000’s, these systems have been used in foreign elections and are suspected of usage in the swing states of 2020. The problem with these systems is that they are hard to detect, especially under the time constraint of officialization of vote counts outlined in the election system. Were there substantial evidence with which the Supreme Court could work, there is a constitutional provision whereby the election would be decided by the individual state legislatures, as they maintain the power over the electoral college. Fraud in the election system, as Discovery Institute is quick to point out, is lethal to a democracy that is built on the voice of the people.

Undertaking a more encouraging response to the 2020 election, Cofounder and Chairman of the Board for the Discovery Institute, Bruce Chapman, wrote a piece titled “Politicians: Can’t Live With Them, Can’t Live Without Them.” In a cultural moment in which it proves easy to criticize politicians, Chapman asserts that they set the “preconditions for progress,” that they do so while stumbling, and that they almost always fail to see their own good progress. They are not above those who move society forward in other ways. Rather, they must aim for virtue, and for a “more perfect union, not a perfect one.” In a time of political chaos, Chapman makes a worthy call toward good work in that sector. Indeed it is the generosity of the American people, to those above and around them, which pushes forward the good of the society.

As a 501(c)(3) non-profit think tank, generosity is vital to production of such commentary from the Discovery Institute. One such financial contributor, Howard Ahmanson, also sits on Discovery Institute’s Board of Directors. Mr. Ahmanson comes from the esteemed Ahmanson family, a family of benefactors whose successes in the greater Los Angeles business and insurance landscape provided for ample channels of generous giving. Recipients of this generosity surpass the Discovery Institute to other educational centers and organizations for religious freedom. Ahmanson’s private philanthropy through Fieldstead and Co., has contributed to endeavors such as the political commentary published by the Discovery Institute.