Is the Party Over?

 

Is The Party Over?

I recently finished reading former Republican conservative Congressman Mickey Edwards’ “The Parties Versus the People: How to Turn Republicans and Democrats into Americans”. Edwards describes the underlying system forces that nurture partisanship, all of which were accelerated by Newt Gingrich’s Speakership of the House, but continued under Pelosi and Boehner. He discusses the rules, the gerrymandering, and the structuring of the spaces that push partisanship and offers suggestions on how to dissolve the barriers that foster the partisanship that besieges us. Edwards doesn’t believe the politicians tied to parties will change the rules that benefit them. He suggests that these changes will have to be driven by citizens. It’s not too early to review his remedies and decide if you want to work to see them implemented. We elect a new Congress in two more years, and you can bet everyone of them is already out raising money to beat back any challengers. One can see glimpses of the same forces invading state and local government circles as 'winner take all' approaches to governing overtake thoughtful dialogue and deliberation. More on the brighter side in another post.