There is No Question: We Are Divided with Little Hope for Reconciliation
...and that might not be a bad thing
Welp, the trip to Wisconsin went well, and the wedding was lovely. Now, back in the bosom of TN, I am finally able to get my Sunday newsletter out (yesterday being a travel day). I wrote this article sitting in a hotel breakfast nook, pondering the mid-term election results. I hope it will give you something to think about.
The recent election, which was supposed to be a red wave was not only not a red wave of any sort, rather a blue undertow. The Democratic Party not only outperformed historical norms, but may, as of this writing, retain control of the Senate and the House, although the latter is much less likely.
Stunning, considering the state of our economy, is an understatement.
Republican pundits are throwing around blame as a firehouse dousing a fire, and Democrat pundits are, rightfully so, trumpeting the success of not only weathering the storm, but actually leaning into the storm and fighting it off. The accusations and finger pointing border on ridiculous, but there is no sugar coating this…the Republicans got whipped and whipped good.
All of this means very little with regard to the governing of the country right now. Whether the Senate flips (which, as of this writing I do not think it will), or the House remains in Republican hands, little will happen. Government will be at a stalemate as the Republican led House will thwart any proposed bill if, for nothing else, principal.
Should the Republicans take both houses, again, little will get done as Mr. Biden has his veto pen, which can be overridden by 2/3 of both houses, but that will not happen either as the Democrats will have too much in the way of representation creating a block - as the Founders intended.
The days of negotiation and compromise seem gone.
The fact is this - no matter whether one wishes to blame Mr. Trump's increasingly erratic behavior, poor leadership by Republican House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy or the controversial Mitch McConnell, or even the Democrat election strategy of funding Trump-backed candidates in the primary elections, helping them win because they knew they’d (the Democrats) defeat them in the general election (an interesting strategy and apparently successful), the fact is this nation is almost divided in half when it comes to the national political landscape—and there’s no hope for reconciliation.
Perusing social media in its many forms reveals some stark realities—neither side—Red or Blue—likes each other or is willing to admit the other side has salient points with regard to government on the national level. The vitriol is palpable and the distrust is clear.
Even on the state level the hatred and distrust is astonishing with blue people lamenting they live in Republican “hell holes” even though they moved there from places like California which are deep blue. The same is said for red people living in states like Illinois, where Chicago and the surrounding suburbs are becoming a deeper shade of blue with each election, virtually eliminating the Republican Party in that state.
Those that can move, generally do to places that better suit their political leanings, made much more apparent during the pandemic period wherein Florida, Tennessee, Texas experienced significant population “move-ins”. But, as humans are creatures of habit and familiarity, most remain in their state of birth, either not having the means to leave, or simply refusing, like the person who refuses to be ejected from their home despite high rise buildings surrounding him.
There is no way out for our nation in the immediate future. We will remain divided and philosophically opposed, this philosophical difference being manifest in our national elections. Even good governance demonstrated on either side of the political fence will not affect “the other side” as they will always find fault and always oppose for that is, currently, the nature of things.
Pundits will speak of “good candidates” or “bad candidates”, there will be unfounded charges of racism… again along with the usual accusations of voter suppression by both sides which will, again, be unfounded. Their will be charges of vote fraud, accusations of late night vote culling or gathering and the questionable practice of mail-in voting as a legitimate method of voting (which I think should be eliminated).
None of it matters. The nation is divided on the national level with states a better reflection of what the “locals” prefer. Blue states are blue, red states are red, and a few are in transition, the people there the ultimate deciders of said state’s direction.
Voters will vote, almost as a religion, for their party, despite the haplessness of the candidate chosen. This is particularly apparent for liberal voters more so than conservative or independent ones. Said one Harvard Law professor recently:
"Its funny to see GOP types debating which candidates or issues would have made a difference, when the simplest hypothesis that there is a critical mass of voters who will support left-liberalism on essentially theological grounds, regardless of the conditions it produces" - Adrian Vermeule, Harvard Law
Divided national government was/is exactly what the founders intended and exactly what we have. It should be adversarial in nature, with the party in the minority able to check and force negotiation with the majority--on the national level. It is on the state and local level wherein individual preferences should be manifest. That is how the nation was created and that is how it should remain, the Constitution being the bulwark against over-reaching federal control.