From my son, a one-time Reagan Republican's Facebook post to me: Disillusionment and a plea for sanity and normalcy.
As we approach the election, I’ve been paying close attention to polling. There’s always one question I find particularly fascinating: "Do you think the country is on the right or wrong track?" Overwhelmingly, the answer is that the country is on the wrong track. There's little context behind this, but the response is so lopsided that it must include voters from the left, right, and center. From this, I can only conclude that most Americans are angry, concerned, frustrated, and worried about the country’s direction. Count me as one of them.
There was a time when I thought I understood what the majority of Americans believed. Maybe I was wrong—misguided, living in an "elite" bubble, believing my own nonsense, holding onto a fantasy about our country that was unrealistic, impractical, and naïve.
I once believed it was impossible for someone twice impeached, a convicted felon, found liable for sexual assault, a serial bankrupt, facing multiple federal indictments, and guilty in civil court of fraudulent business practices—someone who organized and abetted an attack on the U.S. Capitol to overturn our democratic processes—could ever come close to holding the office of the presidency again. I was wrong.
I believed America would never abandon the post–World War II order that, through our leadership, brought unprecedented prosperity, peace, and scientific development. I thought most Americans wanted to stand firmly with our democratic allies to oppose territorial conquest, a practice that had caused centuries of conflict. I believed we wouldn’t back down to autocratic bullies or yield to their ambitions and nuclear blackmail. I thought most of us understood that appeasement only offers a temporary peace before autocrats’ reckless desires needed to be fed again, leading to another global catastrophe. I was wrong.
I believed that those aspiring to sit on the highest court in the land were of the highest moral character, with integrity and impartiality. I expected them to resist the corrupting influences of money, power, and ambition. I thought they understood that secret, unlimited money in politics is corrosive, and that the rule of law applies to everyone, including the president. I believed they had the wisdom not to reopen old wounds over women’s rights, civil rights, and voting rights. I also believed our elected leaders, responsible for appointing these justices, acted with purpose to keep the Supreme Court above the fray of petty politics. I was wrong.
I believed that the men and women who put on a uniform to serve this country should be respected and honored, especially those putting themselves in harm’s way. I thought it would be impossible for someone who denigrated this service, exploited it cynically for political gain, mocked POWs, called those who has paid the ultimate price “losers” and “suckers”, and was repulsed by the sight of the wounded, could ever be close to serving as Commander-in-chief again. I was wrong.
As the son of an immigrant, I believed immigration was a fundamental part of the American story. I thought that those who played by the rules, worked hard, and contributed, regardless of their background, should be respected and celebrated. I believed most Americans agreed and that even those attempting to enter illegally deserved humane treatment because, at our core, we are a decent and humane people. I thought even suggesting the use of military or police to round up and detain families en masse for forced deportations would disqualify anyone from public office. I was wrong.
I believed that any child from a middle, or lower-class background, with talent, ambition, and hard work, could succeed because America provided a fair and level playing field with educational and economic opportunities for all. I was wrong.
I once believed my colleagues would put the good of the country ahead of their personal tax benefits. I was wrong. It seems some people enjoy paying a lower tax rate than their secretaries.
I used to believe all these things. Now, I’m not sure what to believe anymore. Maybe that’s the point.
To summarize an idea from Hannah Arendt, a German historian and philosopher of the last century:
This constant lying is not aimed at making people believe a lie, but at ensuring that no one believes anything anymore. A people who can no longer distinguish between truth and lies cannot distinguish between right and wrong. And such people, deprived of the power to think and judge, are, without knowing or willing it, completely subjected to the rules of lies. With such people, you can do whatever you want.
I don’t know if our country is changed forever. I doubt the country I grew up in will ever return, but I hope we find enough compromise so that, when my time comes, it will resemble enough of the place I chose to remember.
I’ll be voting for a strange coalition—one that includes Bernie Sanders and Dick Cheney. I’ll be voting for Harris-Walz. I’m not trying to convince anyone else to do the same; I just want four years of some semblance of sanity and normalcy. I was comfortable in my bubble.
