“I Am Not a Member of Any Organized Party. I Am a Democrat.” --Will Rogers, writer and humorist
Those prescient words were spoken nearly a hundred years ago, by America’s cowboy humorist, and still ring true all these decades later. As I write this, Joe Biden has stepped out of the race. Facts, polls and the displeasure of major democrats finally overwhelmed his ego. It’s probably too late in the game, and Kamala Harris may not be the strongest candidate, but Joe was surely going to take the party down to defeat.
How did it come to this? It came to this by temerity, by one of our national parties bludgeoning its way forward and the other being steamrolled. I’ll leave you to decide which was which. Republicans, for who knows what reasons, chose an elderly madman, with nothing more than a gameshow to recommend him, to be their presidential candidate.
Democrats dithered, divided themselves by indecision, and nominated a warmed-over Clinton to fly their banner because (as the DNC decided) ‘it was Hillary’s turn.’ Sixty-four-year-old Hillary faces sixty-five-year-old Donald, and it wasn’t her turn after all. Four years later, a seriously aging Biden beats a sixty-nine-year-old Trump, and the beat goes on while America scratches its head. This year, neither of them can complete a sentence.
What happened to the young and able?
They are there, waiting impatiently in the wings for the play to end.
Politics is a strange game, and democrats play it with a tad too much sensitivity. They still believe in bipartisanship, no matter the surge of partisan tides. They’re reasonably able tacticians, but utter failures at strategy. Politics is a chess game, and tactics are useless without strategy. As every motorcyclist knows, chrome won’t get you home.
In our two-party system, Republicans are laser-focused, their eye on the prize and teeth well sunk into the political leg. Since the Obama presidency their party mantra has been deny any legislation proposed by Democrats. Mitch McConnell publicly admitted as much, without any hint of irony.
Even holding control of both the House and Senate, Obama was unable to seat a Supreme Court judge. With both House and Senate locked in razor thin majorities—and sometimes not even that—Donald Trump named three, and won their confirmation.
It’s not in their DNA for Democrats to line up and march, no matter how loud the band plays
They struggle among themselves with various political philosophies, offer individually nuanced solutions for welfare legislation and rate fairness as a high priority, while Republicans run off with tax cuts and presidential elections—twice Bush and once Trump.
But why?
Because they can.
That wasn’t always the case, so when did it all change?
I thought you’d never ask.
President John Kennedy and his Attorney General brother, Robert, were essentially Roosevelt-style Democrats, deep into answering the nation’s remaining civil rights redresses. Kennedy was eloquent in that regard, and he and Martin Luther King had America’s ear. When he, his brother Robert, King and Malcolm X were all assassinated within a single year, President Lyndon Johnson pushed through the Civil Rights Act, partly as a monument to those men and mostly because it was the right thing to do.
As he signed the legislation, Johnson said, “there goes the Democrat majority in the South forever.” And he was right. President Richard Nixon picked up those marbles and the Republican Party became a powerhouse. The price for that was (and remains) a southern racist ‘base’ that dominates Republican politics.
Democrats keep trying bipartisan legislation, because that’s who they are as a party
But individually, Dems never learned to march in step. Joe Biden wouldn’t get out of the way because he knew in his heart he was morally superior to Trump and could not believe that wasn’t enough. If there’s any salvation in his decision to step down, it will be that he didn’t have to learn it the hard way.
The hard way was France, on June 22nd in 1940, when Hitler entered Paris. Moral superiority doesn’t always save the day.
Political parties that believe in negotiation are no match for demagogues
Fascism is a dormant seed just waiting for rain. It remains to be seen if Republicans are willing to go down that road, but their candidate is ready, willing and (perhaps) able. It has been said that addiction often requires the addict to sink all the way to the bottom, before finally seeking help.
Within my lifetime, America has become addicted to seeking out ‘more,’ no matter the cost in social and economic disparity. We want what we want, and we want it now. More money, bigger cars, no-money-down and eight years to pay.
The first two have fallen to an ever-smaller fraction of 10% and eight years to pay has proven itself not long enough
Democrats are too disorganized to make the case for fair taxes, union membership, better schools, better jobs, and families that can live well with a single wage earner. That was once their base. Maybe America needs to satisfy its addictions by spiraling down to rock bottom before coming up for air.
I hope not. I think rock bottom is a 50-50 bet at worst, but it might be necessary to break our selfish habits. I guess we’ll find out when the votes are counted and, before that, no matter Joe stepping down, it’s anyone’s guess.
Either way, we must keep our democratic republic in good working order
When asked by a woman what kind of government the Constitutional Convention had given us, Benjamin Franklin is said to have replied, “a republic, madam, if you can keep it.” Franklin knew the risks and many (perhaps too many) compromises had been made. But a pure democracy was impossible in a slave economy and monarchy was out of the question
For 248 years we struggled with variations of that challenge, and no matter who wins the coming election, I have confidence we will not fail in these complicated times.
But, never say never.