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America's surprising

by Bob Shepherd

Our messy American democracy

Democracy is the worst form of government, except for all those other forms that have been tried from time to time. (Churchill)

If America might be described for its temperamental political disposition, we might well go back to what Europeans thought of our political feistiness back when few of their historic regimes even so much as dared democracy, let alone the rather unkempt American version of majoritarian showdowns every election season. Americans seem to almost tear each other to pieces, verbally, polemically, emotionally. Passions run at fever hot intensity. Rare is the election that there is not occasional or even frequent excess of "hardball" -- even sometimes vulgarity, exaggeration, name-calling.

It is almost surprising when after the battle is over, and a winner is chosen, that a kind of healing or forgiveness usually takes place. "Up to a point." Or perhaps we are just so emotionally drained it is inevitable that the "warring spouses" kiss and make up -- till it's time for the next family quarrel to begin.

But there is an amazing political irony beneath the polemics and electoral warfare that appears on the verge of rending our nation apart -- our "left" and our "right" seem to exhibit an enduring, almost perennial characteristic of a considerable substantial overlap -- right square in the middle. For all of Obama's campaign attacks on his predecessor as a right wing warmonger and defender of greedy capitalists bent on destroying America, as President, Barack Obama not only wound up imitating Bush on much of his foreign policy, but reiterated his resolve to save capitalism by focusing first on Wall Street and the "too-big-to-fail." Obama emulated Bush by continuing the bail-outs and stimulus, but accomplished a significant "liberal" departure from Bush when he reinstated regulations that Bush had relaxed. But guess what. Bush had seen the need for doing so, once the devastation of the 2008 melt-down hit home.

Arthur Schlesinger Jr, observed there is an essential conservatism to American liberalism. For all their leftist rhetoric at election time -- and sometimes afterward -- our liberals have been remarkably centrist. We contrast our American left with Europe's and our liberalism is incredibly moderate, even mild, compared to the version Europeans seem stuck with. Consdier, most all our Democratic presidents have been far less hostile to capitalism (as shaped using the ideas of Hamilton -- and England's Adam Smith, the Scot -- and others.) Jackson alone came close to giving capitalism a death blow, but even his destruction of the bank, and elimination of the national debt in its entirety, was only temporary.

Why so moderate? I wonder if the practical centrism of America (historically) might have something to do with the moderating effect of American religiosity -- both our blessing and our curse. Henri Bergson saw the middling effect of religion as essential in a democracy. He identified the right with "liberty" and the left with "equality" -- and the force or influence of something like faith or religion with "fraternity." It is the middle that moderates the extremes. Just as inland temperatures can be pushed to extremes, coastal climates suffer highs that are less high, and lows that are less low -- as a direct result of the moderating effect of the ocean.

Of course our salvation may simply be the fact that the middle or swing voters are the least politicized, the most "bored" with politics, often somewhat less informed, and there is their genius. They bring the fresh outlook of an "outsider" -- neutral almost, in a way that intense and overly informed partisans (whether left or right) are not. They have had it with the violence of the "sides" and wish only for respite. In frustration they may be thinking, a "pox on both your houses." Or, the silent wish, "Can we all just get along?"

Republicans rally on behalf of Bush to defend him against the merciless jabs of liberals who paint him as the ultimate conservative, a man without compassion, a buddy of greedy billionaires and heartless fatcats. Yet here again, campaign portraits painted by either side are often sheer caricature and exaggeration. George W. Bush had been known as a peace-maker and a moderate in Texas. He campaigned in 2000 calling for "compassion" (a word which made Rush Limbaugh and other real conservatives quite uneasy. Uh oh, a secret liberal. Bush highlighted his close friendship with Colin Powell, a moderate with a conscience, he was known. A Lincoln Republican, or big-tent Republican. Limbaugh was horrified that Powell not only delivered the keynote address for the Republicans, but was awarded the top cabinet post in the Bush administration -- Secretary of State.

There was a battle underway almost at once. A president who vowed to "close the gap of hope" and be an "education president" sure did not sound like the sort of conservative that Rush Limbaugh liked to declaim about. It looked like he would start in on Bush as he had done to his father, removing the mantle of conservative (and placing it on himself). Limbaugh has always regarded himself, and proclaimed himself, the REAL conservative, perhaps the heir to Reagan (little realizing Reagan's deep New Deal affections, and roots).

In hindsight, it would appear that Dick Cheney had more than a little to do with conciliating Limbaugh, or encouraging him to deflect his attacks on Bush to other targets (Colin Powell possibly?) But perhaps there was a price the administration had to pay. Certainly there were compassionate goals that were enacted, spending on education, a significant progress on the eradication of AIDS scourge in Africa, and perhaps most expensive of all, a long-overdue patch in the healthcare safety net -- prescription drug benefits for seniors was carefully added to supply a lacuna in Medicare.

Obama-care may seem like a bold innovation and trail-blazing by the far-sighted Democrat (Obama), but a sizable piece of credit actually goes to the beginnings made by Bush and his administration, seven years previously.

Building Capitalism - the dirty business of money and wealth - how Hamilton (& early Federalists) paved our eventual rise as economic superpower

Friends of Diversity

The Founders didn't mention political parties when they wrote the Constitution, and George Washington in essence warned us against them in his Farewell Address. [Marianne Williamson]

Rush Limbaugh -

foremost voice of the hard right wing

The GOP's biggest self-inflicted wounds ~

and the future healing almost within reach

Rush calls himself the one true conservative, and has portrayed himself from time to time as if he were the real "heir" of Ronald Reagan. If you love the sound of confidence without the slightest doubt, Rush is the perfect know-it-all.
Ross Douthat (NYTimes.com) says Limbaugh maintains a "totemic role in conservative discourse"

Those who Tear Down But Don't Build Up