My Point of View by Jennifer Vogt-Erickson

Remember the good old days when divided government simply meant that one party held the executive branch and the other held the legislative branch? The party leadership “reached across the aisle” to get stuff done. Trust in government was much higher.

Politics has always been about conflict and compromise, but it seems to be almost entirely about conflict lately. Distinguished politicians like Sen. Olympia Snowe have remarked upon leaving office that the tone of Washington has changed and become “corrosive.” Few moderate lawmakers like her remain as the middle erodes and polarization increases. It’s true in state houses as well.

The greatest consequence so far is that Congress accomplishes little and can hardly pass crucial legislation without brinkmanship. Within the Republican Party there are worse signs. John Boehner was forced out as Speaker of the House last fall due largely to Tea Party conservatives who eschew compromise, and his predecessor Paul Ryan couldn’t get his budget passed by the April deadline for the same reason.

Say what you want about Nancy Pelosi, who is as liberal as Paul Ryan is conservative, she was never outflanked like that by members of her own party when she was Speaker. Neither did she have to deal with the same level of extremism.

So the division is not just between parties but within parties, most notably the Republican Party. What was a legislative headache (and I’ve felt considerably more sympathy for Boehner and Ryan than I’m comfortable with) is now threatening to unglue the whole party, because the cynicism and contempt for government the party has stoked has now fueled the meteoric rise of a vainglorious real estate mogul.

Trump is poised to receive the GOP presidential nomination unless party leaders figure out how to block him, and they should. It would carry its own risks, but it’s the only chance of the center holding in the GOP. We don’t know where Donald “I am the greatest” Trump really stands on anything except his own grossly inflated sense of competence. He’s a textbook case of a demagogue, and democracy as we know it may come apart if he’s elected. We are that close to the edge.

David Frum had an excellent piece in The Atlantic a few weeks ago called “The Seven Broken Guardrails of Democracy.” He explains the success of Trump, an unlikely standard bearer in almost any other era, as a result of voters no longer expecting these things from a presidential candidate:

1. Decorum

2. Some measure of trustworthiness other than “Trust me.”

3. A strong grasp of public affairs and how to govern

4. Loyalty to principles

5. Commitment to global leadership and alliances

6. Tolerance for people of all faiths, races and origins

7. Loyalty to America as a whole, not just party

One of Frum’s most damning assessments is this: “Trump is running not to be president of all Americans, but to be the clan leader of white Americans. Those white Americans who respond to his message hear his abusive comments, not as evidence of his unfitness for office, but as proof of his commitment to their tribe.”

Civil society is at stake. We live in a diverse nation, and increased diversity is often accompanied by a period of intergroup hostility. Politicians who play on fears associated with diversity create greater division. They tacitly give permission for marginalization and even violence.

It’s a grave concern that we lost a state senator, Clementa Pinckney, last year to a mass shooting by a white supremacist who targeted blacks in a church. Last week Jo Cox, a member of Britain’s parliament, was shot and killed by a man influenced by American white nationalism.

We’ve been further atomized by emphasis on individualism and personal responsibility without responsibility to country. Our strength as individuals can only take us so far; our much greater strength is in our ties to each other. We did not come through the Great Depression or win World War II by focusing on individualism. The military slogan “An Army of One” from the Bush II years would have been inconceivable at the time. What are we willing to do for the whole anymore, either through military or civilian service, or taxes?

Civility is a discipline that protects everyone. We are not inevitably a “violent society” as Kevin Williamson recently stated in the National Review. Fear tears us apart and hate destroys what is precious. Turn it off. We need each other, and we’ve proven before that we’re stronger together.

The Freeborn County DFL’s annual potluck picnic is from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Thursday at Pioneer Park. Join us for speakers, conversation and family fun.

 

Jennifer Vogt-Erickson is a member of the Freeborn County DFL Party.