To the editor:
Good government is harder than it looks. Good government—like good political leadership—requires getting things done even when people fundamentally disagree, while keeping those same people on speaking terms. Good government serves all of the people, not just those who voted for it. Good government builds on laws and regulations, on debate and compromise.
Only one of our national political parties still cares about good government. Democrats argue among themselves about particulars, but not about the goals of social justice and good government. Today’s Democrats are heirs of the Roosevelts’ progressive movement, which began when the relevant Roosevelt was the Republican. They want to make the government work for the welfare of all. And not just by spending money: The last time the president submitted a balanced budget to Congress and the federal government ran a surplus that president was a Democrat.
Good government is effective government. Speaker Nancy Pelosi could get stuff done, notably bringing home President Barack Obama’s Affordable Care Act, which required working through disagreements in the Democratic Caucus. They managed to do it. President Joe Biden is getting stuff done, notably the Inflation Reduction Act, infrastructure, and firearms laws — and, like President Obama, while running a no-scandal administration. There is always room for improvement, of course, but, fundamentally, Democrats want the government to work.
Today’s Republican Party does not want the government to work. Instead of passing legislation, congressional Republicans stumble leaderless through messaging stunts and irresponsible controversies about basics like honoring debts and confirming appointments. In an act of abject political cynicism, they won’t even take a negotiated bipartisan “yes” for an answer to their own demands about border control.
The Republicans admit they don’t want the government to solve the problem because their leader wants to demagogue it. If there is a strategy behind the bumbling chaos, it is to make the government dysfunctional, so their voters will conclude that only “The Strong Man” can fix it. Many of those supporters reportedly would welcome “Der Furor” as a dictator, brushing aside mushy distractions like debate and compromise and the parts of the Constitution he finds inconvenient.
In choosing between good government and chaos this election year, we should heed the lesson of the 20th century: Fascism arrived via the ballot box. In 2024, voting for good government means voting for Democrats.
Michael Wise
Great Barrington
Michael Wise is the chair of the Great Barrington Democratic Town Committee and of the Berkshire Democratic Brigades.
