DECEMBER 17, 2020 – Those of us who believe in American democracy have long been outraged at Senate Republicans. How could they line up so shamelessly behind the Con Man who stole, then trashed their party and (former) ideals? Harangue, harangue!
Here’s the good news: American democracy is alive and well.
And here’s the bad news: American democracy is alive and well.
The ostensible lack of backbone among Senate Republicans isn’t due to some inherent defect among those mostly old, mostly white—guys. In fact, they’re doing a phenomenal job. They’re reacting to constituents who will vote in sufficient numbers to form a majority. If that majority think the world is flat, then to win—and keep winning—the candidate must join the Flat Earth Society.
Money, of course, has long played a central role in American democracy. In the case of LBJ, you could collect a crisp $5 bill just for showing up—for him of course. Today, big money flows like the Mississippi at spring flood stage, and with each passing election cycle the obscene amounts of cash required to run a competitive House or Senate campaign grow ever more obscene.
I’m sure that in modern times, lots of campaign cash winds up where it shouldn’t. Just look at the individual who stands to benefit personally from much of the money contributed to “Stop the Steal.” But by far the biggest share of campaign dough is used to advertise; to influence prospective voters, who are individual people—human beings—because human beings are still the only “persons” allowed to vote.
The buck, so to speak, stops with them; with us; with individuals such as you and I, who, one way or another and for one reason or another . . . vote.
Which takes me back to the “spineless” Republican senator—pick one—who has made an utter fool of himself (okay, I can think of at least one woman senator who mostly qualifies) falling in line with the spoiled, troubled, incorrigible, irredeemable brat in the White House who refuses to acknowledge his loss. What appears as the absence of backbone is actually the essence of representative democracy: following the will of the people.
To see this more clearly, pretend the shoe is on the other (left) foot. Pretend that we who believe in science, the rule of law, racial justice, that everyone does better when everyone does better, and so on, managed to collect a majority of votes for candidate X in a senate campaign. “X” wins. She’s our senator, and we expect her to vote our way on the issues. If she voted in lock step with our wishes, would we call her “spineless”? Of course not! We’d give her an A+ scorecard for being a model democrat as well as Democrat and re-elect her six years later.
Now back to the Republican foot. Behind each of those Republican senators are a majority of voters who put the guy there.
The problem with American democracy, it seems, is . . . democracy.
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© 2020 by Eric Nilsson
1 Comment
Excellent!!!!!
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