Person, party, country: which first?

In a country with only two major political parties, we have little, if any, bench strength in our political leadership. Why is that? Does anyone other than the current occupant of the White House have the combined name recognition and socioeconomic characteristics to replace Joe Biden on the 2024 ballot if, heaven forbid, he fell over dead tomorrow? Does anyone really believe that any of the miscreant Republican candidates could win the popular vote for president in 2024 unless they finagled voter suppression, fraud, and smoke and mirrors? Is this any way to run a country that’s supposed to be the world’s leading democracy? In football, it might be okay in sports to claim that “Winning isn’t everything, it’s the only thing.” It doesn’t work out as well in politics.

I’m still reading Founding Gardeners. It has me convinced that there were differences of opinion among our country’s founders (agrarian versus mercantilist) at least as strong as almost any differences today between Democrats and Republicans. But, before the Civill War, there was also a prevailing willingness to put the interest of the country ahead of the party. We seem to have misplaced almost all of that over the past 150 or so years.

To be clear, I’m not referring to the presidential line of succession. I’m wondering why there aren’t more qualified, popular candidates in both parties so that, every four, or eight, years we’re not faced with a series of “yeah, but” decisions. A recent news article flagged substantial issues of concern among voters of both parties. I would like to think we can field stronger teams on both sides, so the challenge becomes voting for the best, rather than the least worst. Returning to founding gardener metaphors, perhaps our politics, and political parties, need better quality manure to produce better candidates?

I believe it was Bill Clinton who emphasized the theme “It’s the Economy, stupid.” These days, I’d say the operative phrase is “It’s the stupid system, stupid!” 

Joan Baez - The President Sang Amazing Grace Lyrics

A young man came to a house of prayer
They did not ask what brought him there
He was not friend, he was not kin
But they opened the door and let him in

And for an hour the stranger stayed
He sat with them and seemed to pray
But then the young man drew a gun
And killed nine people, old and young

In Charleston in the month of June
The mourners gathered in a room
The President came to speak some words
And the cameras rolled and the nation heard

But no words could say what must be said
For all the living and the dead
So on that day and in that place
The President sang Amazing Grace
The President sang Amazing Grace

We argued where to lay the blame
On one man's hate or our nation's shame
Some sickness of the mind or soul
And how the wounds might be made whole

But no words could say what must be said
For all the living and the dead
So on that day and in that place
The President sang Amazing Grace
My President sang Amazing Grace

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