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As an independent appalled by the cult-like behavior and lack of moral compass of today’s GOP, I find recent polls showing Donald Trump ahead of Joe Biden [1] distressing. No party so deeply unethical and so disruptively anti-government should occupy the White House—or, for that matter, have majorities in the US Senate, US House or local or state government. And no one with the faulty character, disrespect for the law, and authoritarian traits of Mr. Trump should be seriously considered for president.
That Mr. Trump is a leading candidate is an indictment on our country, society, and times. Old-guard Republicans like late Senators Mark Hatfield and John McCain or late President Reagan would likely be as disgusted with their party as former representatives Liz Cheney and Adam Kinzinger are. The latter are among the ethical conservatives vocally warning of the dangers posed by Mr. Trump and the MAGA dominance of the GOP—to insufficient effect. The fear of the ‘other’ party is just too great for a large percentage of conservative and independent voters to stop voting GOP, particularly because there is no realistic third choice.
It is (past) time to unambiguously recognize that the lack of meaningful options beyond red versus blue deeply impoverishes our Democracy. Those options can only be unlocked by a viable and vibrant multi-party system, which is precluded in practice by our electoral system. For example, in most states, the lack of ranked voting relegates independent or third-party candidates to a spoiler role. For the Presidential election, this is aggravated by the requirement of an absolute majority of Electoral College votes—without which the winner is determined by a US House vote.
I wish Democrats had, during the recent Speaker crisis, capitalized on opportunities to catalyze structural change. Easier said than done—especially with this GOP—but not impossible. For instance, Democrats could have gone out of their way to offer extraordinary cover for moderate conservatives to formally break away from MAGA [2]. Had that happened, a moderate (bipartisan or independent/Democrat) block could effectively be leading the House now. Better yet, a space might have been created for a meaningful (non-spoiler!) third party to emerge. Cross-aisle dialogue, selflessness, creativity, and courage would have been required—but were seemingly absent.
Instead, Speaker Mike Johnson was elected, proving that the Trump-inspired hard right minority has disproportionate power in the House and thus the country. This at a time when Congress is (again) dangerously close to the deadline to avoid a government shutdown. To his credit, Mr. Johnson does not seem to want a shutdown. But his price to keep the government open might be far, far higher than the country should pay. Even more concerning, Mr. Johnson helped lead efforts to overturn the 2020 election [3]. He is also reported to have close ties with Christian nationalism, “which holds that the U.S. is a solely Christian nation and that its laws and government should be tied to religious values” [4]. While Christian nationalism is often equated with patriotism in MAGA circles, the terms are antithetic [5].
Absent deep system changes, I wish that Democrats would at least be having a real primary. Mr. Biden has met and exceeded most reasonable expectations, under very difficult circumstances. Although he is often not given due credit, he deserves a second mandate by most measures. Even so, the party and country would have benefitted from constructive and galvanizing debate among serious candidates. An opportunity to celebrate the (many) accomplishments of the Biden Administration, showcase differences relative to the disruptive GOP, and explore new ideas to address critical challenges (e.g., climate change) and conflicts (e.g., Gaza and Ukraine.) And, yes, an opportunity to examine exciting alternatives to Biden if any emerges.
Instead, the Gaza conflict is polarizing the Democratic party, partly due to lack of critically needed objective dialogue in such a complex and dehumanizing issue. Also, Dean Philips (who had a disastrous start of campaign [6]) and Marianne Williamson lead a field of even lesser-known Democratic challengers: In NH, Vermin Supreme and Paperboy Love Prince [7] are on the ballot, hardly serious opposition, or a catalyst for productive debate. Moreover, President Biden is not even in the NH ballot for internal party skirmishes [8], although a write-in campaign is being mounted on his behalf.
Adding to this the weirdness of the GOP primaries, what emerges is a sad reflection of how US elections have become less than what they should. And this is happening amidst a country and world experiencing multiple existential crises. Oh, how I wish that there were no wars with all their horrors, no gun violence, no climate change, no hatred, no social injustice, no divisions, no misinformation, no hunger, no poverty, no discrimination, no people dying for lack of health care, and so much more.
Instead, all those are today’s reality. A reality so complex that precludes easy solutions. Where innocents are killed or damaged in a variety of horrifying ways. Where impossible challenges are posed to governments over the globe. Even (or especially?) to governments attempting balancing acts, like the Biden Administration on Gaza [9]. A reality that needs the attention of each and all of us. Because it cannot wait for extremists here and across the globe to come to their senses, and renounce their thirst for power at all costs, and their hatred and bigotry.
For all the above, I wish that, as US citizens and human beings, we would grow up to meet the moment. A moment when Democracy is, once again, at stake—as is our humanity. A moment when voters should be getting informed, asking probing questions, and sending clear messages (including that the MAGA ideology will not be rewarded at the ballot box, and that a multi-party system should be made viable) A moment when a broad and constructive national dialogue should be engaged with urgency, rather than suppressed by divisiveness and intolerance. A moment when we should be striving to regain a moral compass rooted on responsibility, ethics, and empathy [10].
Instead, we seem increasingly unable to learn from history and to pull together as a society and country. Will we ever change? No doubt change will occur, ultimately. The key question is whether we will change of own will and in our own terms, or whether some form of doomsday will be forced upon us. Unfortunately, the danger of the latter is real, whatever form it may assume (authoritarianism, critically degraded Earth, World War III, or …).
For now, the choice remains ours. But inaction or further descent into political irresponsibility are not solutions. If we truly want to find ways out of the grave challenges we face, let’s re-work our way into a solid internal moral compass (religion optional), tolerance for differences, and constructive dialogue. So that we can give ourselves a chance, and our grandkids a future.
— Antonio Baptista
Links:
[1] Trump leads Biden in 4 key swing states, new polling finds. CNN. https://www.cnn.com/2023/11/05/politics/trump-leads-biden-in-key-swing-states-new-polling-finds/index.html
[2] Time for a paradigm shift. Outside the Box. By Antonio Baptista. https://outoftheboxblog.org/2023/10/20/time-for-a-paradigm-shift
[3] Mike Johnson helped lead efforts to overturn the 2020 election. What that could mean for 2024. ABC. https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/mike-johnson-led-efforts-overturn-2020-election-2024/story?id=104351307
[4] Christian Group Warns Mike Johnson May Be the ‘Most Dangerous’ Leader. Newsweek. https://www.newsweek.com/christian-group-warns-mike-johnson-may-most-dangerous-leader-1840415.
[5] People Are Still Confused About Christian Nationalism. Christianity Today. By Paul D. Miller. https://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2023/february-web-only/christian-nationalism-ct-white-evangelical-america-religion.html
[6] ‘You just gaslight her’: How Dean Phillips’ first town hall went off the rails in N.H. Washington Post. https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2023/11/02/dean-phillips-town-hall-new-hampshire
[7] 2024 NH Presidential Candidates. CitizensCount. https://www.citizenscount.org/elections/2024-nh-presidential-primary?gad=1&gclid=Cj0KCQjwtJKqBhCaARIsAN_yS_m4O-9uTXpjjKBDno1i8VT3BZq_KGvtBgsEVblevsOBa8hhAZRiys8aAqyEEALw_wcB
[8] Biden will not be on the New Hampshire primary ballot. What does that mean for voters? PBS. https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/biden-will-not-be-on-the-new-hampshire-primary-ballot-what-does-that-mean-for-voters
[9] White House warns Israel over post-war plans for Gaza. CNN. https://www.cnn.com/2023/11/07/politics/white-house-israel-gaza/index.html
[10] None of this is OK. What now? Outside the Box. By Antonio Baptista. https://outoftheboxblog.org/2023/10/16/none-of-this-is-ok-what-now/
Outside the box 
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