Today is election day in the Georgia 6th congressional district.  And as much as Republicans are watching the results to determine the extent to which Donald J. Trump may be a drag on the 2018 mid-term elections, Democrats should not take the bait.   Democrats did not lose the 2016 presidential campaign or control of both houses of Congress because of Trump.

I know.  What about Russian interference in the campaign?  Yes, it’s real.  And if and when there is evidence of any direct ties between the Kremlin and the Trump campaign, the appropriate parties should be charged with treason and punished if found guilty.  But, continuing to focus on Russia’s role in the election, is like blaming game officials for a bad call which resulted in a prohibitive favorite losing a championship.  You know what the sports analysts say EVERY time.  “Yes, it was a bad call, but it never should have come down to that play.”

Neither should the 2016 presidential contest.  And if the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC) thinks Jon Ossoff’s fate depends on the anti-Trump vote, the 2018 mid-terms promise to be another hand-wringer and head-shaker for the Democrats. Two events this month provide the key to their return to power and neither have anything to do with Agent Orange.

First, there is the famous Michael Kinsley quote, “A gaffe is when a politician tells the truth.”  Such was the case during the June 7, 2017 debate between the Georgia special election candidates Ossoff and Republican Karen Handel.  In response to Ossoff’s support for the $15/hour minimum wage, Handel argued:

This is an example of the fundamental difference between a liberal and a conservative. I do not support a livable [sic] wage.

No, this is the fundamental difference between a compassionate human being and someone who professes to be for working people but does not believe in community or the social contract in which the common good is linked to the welfare of every individual.  Jay Willis of the Congressional Quarterly summarized Handel’s remark as equivalent to saying, “The difference between me and my opponent is that he wants you to earn enough to eat and I do not.”

On yesterday’s edition of the Stephanie Miller Show, Lee Papa aka “Rude Pundit” warned Democrats not to look for a silver bullet, the one thing they could do differently to try and win back working voters.  He is correct.  This is not about a single program or policy to curry favor with disaffected constituents.  It is about a basic difference in philosophy, not about big versus small government, not about race or gender and not even about the environment.  It is about LIFE (breathable air and potable water), LIBERTY (to choose one’s own lifestyle unless it causes harm or impinges on the rights of others to choose their preferred lifestyle) and the PURSUIT OF HAPPINESS (including the resources needed to enjoy a decent standard of living).

Which brings me to the second event this month, the shameless attempt by Republicans to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act under a cloak of secrecy. Who needs the Russians to undermine faith in our government when we have Mitch McConnell and his colleagues behaving more like the defunct Soviet Politburo than the United States Senate? Consider the following description of the Politburo’s decision making process.

Andrei Gromyko described the working style of the Politburo’s weekly meeting during the Brezhnev era as “quiet, orderly, and methodical.  Although an agenda is prepared, there is no quorum call or other form of parliamentary procedure.”   Arkady Shevchenko’s memoir makes it clear that the tense political struggle that could often occur among Politburo members usually did not take place openly during its meetings, but rather behind the backs of one’s rivals. In practice, Soviet Leninism’s democratic centralism often followed a style of unanimous consent rather than majority vote. This style of consensus decision-making had roots not only in the era of the Great Terror, when no one dared demur openly, but also in Brezhnev’s carefully cultivated culture of collective decision-making.  (Source: Wikipedia)

Don’t fool yourself.  This would be happening regardless of which 2016 Republican presidential wannabe occupied the oval office.  The major difference being the McConnell/Ryan cabal would have been aided by a more competent, sane and dignified ally in the White House.  And that, a reminder of the difference between the parties in basic values and adherence to the American system of governance, is the platform on which the DCCC and Democratic candidates should be running in 2018 and beyond.

Maybe we should start selling baseball caps which read, “Make America America Again.”

For what it’s worth.
Dr. ESP