Length: 413 Words Reading Time: 1 Minute + 40 Seconds
Politics has become a seriously defective process in America from several perspectives. One example of such imperfection is what I see on both sides of the political spectrum regarding public policy and legislative solutions. Let me explain.
For some inexplicable reason, the Democrats seem to be able to articulate their ideas with more coherency, albeit more stridency, than the Republicans. Former presidents such as Clinton and Obama represent prima facie evidence of that capability. Their successors in the Democratic Party, however, while not as articulate as Messrs. Clinton and Obama, are not at all shy about floating ideas, fast and furious. Most of these ideas are so far-fetched and so far out of the mainstream that they are almost incomprehensible. I cannot understand why the Democrats do not stand back from the fray and take a critical look at what they are presenting to the American voter. The Democrats seem to be all over the map with their ideas. They do not seem to be able to see the intended and unintended consequences of what they are proposing.
The Republicans, on the other hand, have much better ideas, in my opinion. However, they are unable to present either a unified approach or to tell a coherent story to the American voter. I struggle to understand why the Republicans fail so miserably in communicating and demonstrating the value of their ideas.
The last time the Republicans were successful in framing a reasonably coherent story was in the 1994 Congressional Election Campaign. Newt Gingrich and Dick Armey wrote a document with the title, “The Contract with America.” The Contract was a remarkable attempt (in my opinion) to implement a broad program of bold government reforms supported by ten bills that would change the political landscape in America. In principle, the Contract with America was an excellent approach. Unfortunately, politics reared its ugly head and wreaked havoc on the acceptance and implementation of these ten initiatives. Many of these bills died in the Senate.
I am not sure if there is a solution to what we see in America’s political discourse today. Perhaps, America needs a third political party to challenge the hegemony of the Democrats and Republicans. I would love to see a robust and powerful political party emerge based on libertarian principles and ideas. Such a party could do no worse than what the Democrats and Republicans have wrought in the last 100 years.
