Programming Note:
This week I’ll be posting daily updates from and about the Democratic Convention in Chicago.
I ran into a farmer at the Montpelier, VT farmers market last week, who sells plants and shrubs he grows on his place.
Like a lot of Vermonters, I was energized by Kamala Harris’s emergence as the Democratic nominee and Tim Walz, the VP pick.
He wasn’t having it.
“Not voting,’’ he said.
Then came a message from a musician friend.
She calls the presidential race a “theatrical’’ performance.
“Our government is not run by presidents, nor by the electorate,’’ she said.
Their viewpoints highlight the gap between the aspiration of politics and government and reality.
On one hand, you have folks like me, raised on the flawed promise of the Constitution by JFK-inspired parents who believe government can and should help people by promoting equality, fairness, prosperity and justice. Sure it’s flawed and sometimes corrupt, but we trust that the arc of the moral universe bends toward justice - especially when good people work for it.
But my farmers market vendor and on-line friend are done with it all. And it’s hard not to agree.
The truth, which doesn’t make good copy in the NY Times, is that sandwiched in between every speech or campaign event, Kamala Harris and Tim Walz are now meeting with billionaire types, CEOs, and union leaders. All in an effort to raise the money to run ads online and on TV networks owned by those same billionaires. We contribute to the Harris campaign, which then buys advertising, profiting people like Rupert Murdoch, Mark Zuckerberg, COMCAST, Universal, and CBS.
These same media moguls then use that money to influence our elections, support Trump and his crazy behavior, so that Trump in turn will go easy on Big Tech and give Murdoch and the ultra wealthy another tax break.
It’s enough to disillusion anyone.
Yet, I can’t turn away. I am an institutionalist. I believe in Churchill’s assertion that democracy is the least worst kind of government. I also believe we must confront this nihilism that’s overtaken our society.
My friend Bill Lofy, who went to the same high school in Minnesota where Tim Walz coached football and supervised study halls, shares my belief in government’s potential for good.
On my podcast last week, Bill assured me that “Coach Walz’’ is the real deal - someone who won’t be swayed by money, influence, or fame.
Zephyr Teachout, the trust busting policy guru and law professor, said the same thing with more passion. (Bill is from Minnesota after all)
“You gotta fight against the nihilism. You can’t give up. Because if you do, things will get much much worse.”
She said we can’t just tend our own gardens; we must work together to build community and connection. While climate change is worsening, Teachout believes we can mitigate its impact, if we work together. (Stay tuned for her appearance on the POD)
With all this in mind, the struggle to see the positive aspects of our politics continues. You
’ll see it all on display at this week’s Democratic National Convention in Chicago.
The ugly stuff - the fundraising and dealmaking - goes on behind closed doors. But as Teachout told me, even the ugly stuff can yield good outcomes: new relationships are made, new knowledge is shared. The fight is to tip the scale towards the good, diminishing the impact of the bad.
The US is in perpetual electoral campaigning. Parliamentary democracies (France and the UK
recently) limit campaigning to 6-7 weeks and offer free tv time to leading parties. Big money is
not a factor. No wonder we are fed up with the hype and corruption. This and the electoral
college are in need of reform.
No matter what, not voting is suicide. I suspect I know the farmer you are talking too and would not welcome his forms of social structure. Like it or not, the only way to make changes—and god knows we need to make many—is to roll up our sleeves and wade on it. There are lots of good people ready to join and make a difference. YOU included!