We’ve burned a month of the new Democratic majority. God knows, we have some urgent crises that need fixing. But we should think about long-term fixes, too. Trump almost destroyed our democracy. The Insurrection Party that created Trump still wants their Storm. We need to how to strengthen American governance before the Uncivil War.
The First Part’s Over
But first, take a deep breath. The final credits rolled; this Loony Toons episode is finally over. Well, at least the “President of the United States Donald Q. Crazyhead” part is done. Thankfully, Big Baby left town without stealing the drapes. Huzzah? We had to power our way through decades of voter suppression, Gerrymandering, laughable legal challenges, unhinged conspiracy theories, shockingly criminal election interference, and plainly unconstitutional Texas horseshit. As a capper, when Trump realized that Veep Micky wasn’t gonna crayon new numbers into the Electoral College, we had that little insurrection thingie. Hard to forget the zip-ties.
All righty! Democrats have finally gotten their majority. The Senate was supposed to change hands around Jan. 20th, but Sen. Mitch McConnell managed to stall them until what, Wednesday? Whatever. We’re here now. I’m sure every Republican will pretend to be shocked and appalled.
Dumpster Fires First
As always, the first duty of the Democratic Party is to dowse the Republican slag fires. Covid, the economy, climate, international standing, immigration, and basic decency are all pressing issues. Trump and the Republicans have trashed more of our democracy than most people know.
But that’s just the short-term part. In the long term, we need to tune up American governance. During the last insurrection, we were closer to failure than anyone admits. There will be more violent revolts and assassination attempts. The next demagogue won’t be as determinedly self-destructive as Trump. Thank god the Scary Hairpiece was dumber than a ball-peen hammer, but the next Mussolini-wannabe will be much smarter. (Another easy prediction; it’s physically impossible to be denser than Trump.)
The Disloyal Opposition
OK. Democrats have the Presidency and both Houses. Good for them. Now, enter stage far-right, the modern White-supremacist male-chauvinist Republican Party of QAnon Marjorie Greene. (OK, sure; they were already on the political scene.) I know some people hoped they might leave with Crybaby, but that’s not happening. They’re seething and angry that their prophets failed them. But the Storm was only delayed. The Uncivil War will return, smarter and better prepared. We need to figure out how to fix our government before then. The old rules didn’t hold them back the last time.
Most new administrations start with energy and creativity, then get bogged down. That’s why McConnell’s delay hurt. Nonetheless, I’m impressed with Biden’s progress out of the gate. His administration is doing a fantastic job. I’m a little shocked, honestly. I’ve doubted the Democratic establishment for years, but here they are, active, energetic, and with a sense of purpose. Whoa, Nelly!
We Have Less Time Than You Think
Be realistic: we don’t have forever, four years, or even two years. Republicans will eventually bog down the Biden government with idiotic Republican agitprop. What that means is that we can’t wait until the fires are out before we address governance.
Before the election, I wrote some of my expectations. (I’m not a genius prognosticator; this stuff was obvious.) Before the election, we had the usual voter suppression jacked into overdrive by lies, chaos, and vicious intimidation. (Trump had already monkey-wrenched the Post Office.) We knew Trump would attack the validity of the election while Republicans groveled. I warned that the interregnum after Biden’s win would be especially dangerous with Trump unbound and desperate. Again, no crystal ball is required.
So now we’re finally in that post-Trump future. Yay! And yet, somehow, income inequality is insanely high and growing. Monopolies and oligopolies control most of the economy. The minority party controls most state governments. Wealthy donors drive politics. Research shows that legislation has no statistical correlation to voters’ wishes. No, they’re not working on your behalf. That’s why less than half the population votes in most elections.
What Happens Next
It’s up to Democrats to clean up. We’re stuck emptying the sink, fixing the melted supports, and patching those holes in the roof. The Republicans have nothing but their rabid obstruction and disingenuous arguments. It was the Party of No Content who broke the government, after all. They spend their days waving blood-spattered shirts and screaming their endless discontent. A level playing field would only be a threat.
We need to make our democracy robust enough not to fall the next time a dedicated minority decides they hate elections. Getting there won’t be easy because we don’t know how to do it. What does good governance even look like? It can’t just be “Victory over the other party.” Minorities still need protection but not veto power.
The one thing that’s certain? We got us some learning to do, Sparky.
Hey, it’ll be fun.
