“Do not let those who wait for you (God) be put to shame;
let them be ashamed who are wantonly treacherous.”
(Psalm 25:3 NRSV)
The second Impeachment Trial arguments have been made and I personally have a confession to make: I just never want to hear the name of the former president again in my remaining lifetime. After being banned on twitter, I was enjoying the absence of what he was doing and saying next. Since the trial, unfortunately, my dream is not likely because if he is not convicted, he will most certainly have access to do this again to the democratic republic I grew up in and love. It makes me ask the question, where did the Republican Party go? All the political shenanigans and malarkey I am used to seems to have taken a very dark turn over the last four years. They are lost down a black rabbit hole of delusion for power. Maybe it began with a TEA Party a few years ago which didn’t want to play the game by the rules–you know, the rules our founders set up to help us get through challenging times like the unprecedented unleashing of serial lies by the head of state and his disrespect for the will of the majority of the people who are struggling to survive a pandemic and want new leadership.
I remember the vote recounts. There was every chance to prove misconduct in election procedures and none of the courts supported that delusion either. Instead we have evidence that the President is alleged to have pressured officals in Georgia to find him more votes. I remember one state even shared the names of all the write in candidates to document the recount, and Kiefer Sutherland got one write-in vote for President. When I heard that, I knew someone had watched Designated Survivor and found in Mr. Sutherland’s character a leader with the heart and soul of a patriot for our American system of government. I love that series and recommend it on Netflix.
Spoiler alert: I am going to share what got me thinking about other political possiblities from that show. The premise is that a lesser known cabinet member is sheltered during the State of the Union Speech as a precaution for the Republic. When the unthinkable happens and an internal terrorist group explodes a bomb during that speech killing everyone in the Capitol, this cabinet member is sworn in as acting President. The new president–this designated survivor–is an independent, neither Democrat nor Republican, who fights with his whole being to rebuild the government. He role models servant leadeship and sacrifice. He gets the governors to appoint new members of congress. He empowers the new Congress to confirm new Supreme Court Justices, all while still under threat of the secret organization that instigated the assassination of Congress and the Supreme Court Justices who attended. This show really made me think about the basics of our government and how it is run. It forced me to consider the skill set needed by the President of the USA and how the president functions as the leader of one of the parties. It especially made me think about the two-party system. As a “registered” independent this new president was not really beholden to either party. That was not a comfortable situation for congressional party leaders. It was not business as usual. This President was a servant leader. Mr. Sutherland’s character had to work for cooperation with all the other leaders (state elected officials and national government workers) to make the government function. After two years and difficult on-the-job training due to his sudden acension to the most powerful person in the world, he ran as an independent to be elected by the people as President and won by a narrow margin.
While this is fiction, it shines a light on what may be possible in our new government landscape. The Democratic Republic is evolving in the 21st century with social media never imagined by the founders. Are we ready for a real third major party? Some long time Republicans are jumping ship and thinking about starting a new party. The stain of Trump runs deep in the conflicted party. There is nothing set in stone or the Constitution that would prevent this from happening. It has just been our custom to have only two major parties and a few lessor “fringe” parties. I wonder about how it could work. Declaring party affiliation usually means you have the opportunity in a primary election to choose which candidate from your party will stand up against the other party in the general election. Cross party voting in a primary is not allowed. Many people do not bother voting in a primary, but that is where the real selections happen. I have always considered it my duty to vote in the primary.
I have a friend who lives in Italy where they have more than two parties. He claims it’s hard to get a coalition of elected officials to run the legislature. My question from watching this fictional show is this: Why does the President have to be the leader of the dominant political party? What makes political action work is the process of negotiation required to bring a bill to floor for the vote. The party in power has the potential to push through legislation without real consensus. 51% in agreement is not consensus. This causes resentments and fosters the shenanigans and malarkey I have come to know as American politics as usual. Maybe it is time to abandon the usual and make a big change in our party system. Everything I learned in leadership training suggested that the best solutions were arrived by consensus. But consensus takes time and Congress in general has some screwy rules and ways of conducting business that I don’t think the public understands or appreciates–things like secretly attaching a bill to ride with another when they are unrelated. And while I like the filibuster, as a means to create a time out to reconsider what is happening, would it really be too difficult to set budget and run the country if we had 3 or 4 different parties? It would ensure more views got a better representation in government, but would it work? We need the legislature to be a fully functioning body of government that serves the people. Is the Republican Party on its death bed? Are we all designated survivors of Trumpism trying to figure out how to make it back to political normalcy? It’s a lot to think about.
May I suggest:
Watch Designated Survivor on Netflix and think about the ideas I have raised. Share with me what you think about a three-party system. Do you think it could work? How have the last 4 years changed your view of what is important in politics and how do you think we can make a more perfect union?
Your opinion matters! Please share what you think with me.