Do not give Republicans the keys to the government
This is no longer about a difference in worldview or policy; this is an existential threat to democracy, the rule of law, our institutions, and the country itself
True story: I was once a car salesman in my younger days. Okay, not really much younger days, I’m only 34 now and this particular incident took place only 13 years ago. So it wasn’t that long ago.
I watched as a colleague sold a used 2008 Ford Mustang Shelby GT500 with 30,000 something-odd miles, to a wealthy father from one of Houston’s northern suburbs. Who was this well-off gentleman — who paid for it cash, by the way — buying this sleek, black powerful Mustang for?
His son.
Who was only 16 at the time.
As his first vehicle.
All of us our Internet sales department, including the superstar salesman (who had a monopoly on used car Internet leads) were in a bit of disbelief over the transaction. However, that’s the type of clientele we occasionally managed to attract.
I always think back to that story as somewhat of an allegory as to whenever I see unqualified individuals pursue power — in the form of the key — to control the levers of government — in this case, the Mustang. I never met the young man who basically had one of the greatest days of his life that day in getting that Mustang, so I cannot attest to what kind of character he had back then (let alone how he turned out), but I cannot imagine why parent in good conscience would buy that powerful of a vehicle for someone that young as their first vehicle; just like I cannot imagine why any voter, in such good conscience, would give power to someone (or to a party) that is unqualified to hold such power.
But we’ve seen it time and time again. Donald Trump, unquestionably the least qualified person to ever hold the world’s most powerful political office, got elected through the luck of the Electoral College draw and was nearly re-elected because of it. In Houston, young progressive champion Lina Hidalgo, who a lot of people didn’t even know she was running, was elected Harris County Judge because so many Houstonians voted a straight Democratic ticket in 2018— myself included.
Sometimes, inexperienced individuals don’t surprise us: Trump was more focused on his megalomania rather than being a responsible head of government; other times, inexperienced individuals do grow into the job, such as Hidalgo, despite hiring decisions she made that could fairly be debated as ethical relapses. (Full disclosure: I voted for Hidalgo again, because I trusted her experience more than the inexperience and the fake moderate shtick of her opponent, Republican Alexander del Moral Mealer).
The midterm elections is always a referendum as to who voters feel deserve to be in power, at least in terms of political party. The midterms are not exactly a perfect exercise in civics: most of the time, voters are casting ballots with their hearts on their sleeves, in reaction to the party that currently controls the Executive Branch (and Congress). It is also an episode of apathy, as there was plenty of it on the Democratic side during the red waves of 2010 and 2014 that have proven to be immeasurably consequential in contemporary American history; a matter that has been written about ad nauseum and something I don’t need to go into.
These midterms, however, are different because it is another battle in what has emerged into a Cold Civil War between liberals, progressives, moderates, left-wing, and even center-right figures that are pro-democracy, pro-internationalism, and pro-decency that leans Democratic; and the Republican-leaning conservative, libertarians, anti-Democrat, anti-liberal, anti-progressive, and right-wing factions that are driven by cultural fears, religious fanaticism, and a desire to re-establish a hierarchical society they feel is sorely needed.
It’s even more different when the modus operandi between the two parties have becoming extremely divergent. The Democratic Party is still interested in the process and the work of governing, if the party’s ideas are debatable in regards to whether or not it is the best path to take to help Americans. On the other hand, the Republican Party has demonstrated through fielding nearly 300 candidates that peddle or make excuses for election conspiracy theorists and liars that the party only cares about acquiring more and more power.
Before, the debate between the Democratic and Republican parties was essentially which party had the correct interpretation of liberalism: is liberalism supposed to be as selfless and inclusive as Democrats believe, or is liberalism supposed to be selfish and exclusionary, which has been central to Republican thought for a half-century plus?
This is no longer the case. The parties are now at odds on the system of democracy itself, the legitimacy of power, and ultimately, direction that the United States needs to go in from a social and cultural standpoint.
However, existential questions are taking a back seat to economic concerns in the eyes of many voters. Don’t get me wrong, this is wholly understandable. Inflation, a global issue, has been painful here in the United States. Voters are concerned about the state of the economy in 2023 and beyond.
There are many voters that want to send a message to the party in power. Of course, some of these voters really do believe that the other party would assuage their economic fears — granted, this has proven to be an exercise in voter fickleness.
Some Americans like the idea of a divided government. Many voters believe that there’s a productive outcome that results from this, even though the results are effectively mixed. I will tell you right now, there’s nothing good that comes out of this — especially in regards to Republican control. Effective governance as a central part of the philosophy of the Democratic Party; meanwhile, Republicans only care about power and not much else.
In essence, I can trust the Democratic Party, as flawed as it is, to operate in good faith. When it comes to my five central issues as a voter (democracy, individual rights and liberties, Democrats align with my worldview, albeit not perfectly.
On the other hand, the Republican Party has abandoned all sense of functioning in good faith. The party has been that way ever since Barack Obama was elected in 2008. The GOP got worse after it embraced Donald Trump as its demigod.
Now, the Republican Party has fully embraced authoritarianism, neo-fascism, and right-wing populism. It has morphed into a relentless machine of toxicity and anger with a punitive, selfish worldview that can cause everlasting damage to this society in ways that it is party doctrine for them to deny, project, and lie about.
So in short, when you head to the ballot box, think about what you’re voting for. This is not just about economic issues. This is about whether or not the United States can afford to hand over the keys of government to a party that is uniquely unqualified to be trusted with such power. This is many, many orders of magnitude worse than giving a 16 year old kid keys to a 500 horsepower sports car.
As I said before, the Republican Party has been untrustworthy of power since Eisenhower’s last day in office. The GOP has only got worse since 1961; in the past 6 years, it has reached its fully mature, toxic state.
Be wise when you head to the polls. This is no longer about two parties that had a difference in ideas; this is about two parties: one that is flawed, but means well; the other that is toxic, and doesn’t operate in good faith.
America, I beg of you — reject Republican power.
