• Home
  • Blog
  • Contact
The Screaming Moderate

True divided government, maybe not a bad idea

10/15/2014

2 Comments

 
Picture
           According to the pundits and strategists who basically control coverage of politics these days, the Republicans are poised to take control of the United States Senate to go along with their majority in the U.S. House of Representatives. This sends shudders up the spines of many Democrats and strengthens the spines of many Republicans, who think this would be the first step toward taking back the country.   

            
I hope the Republicans do take control of the Senate but not for partisan reasons, for good government reasons. If the Democrats retain control, nothing will change. We will still have a standstill, gridlocked government in Washington, with each side's goal being to gain the upper hand for the next election or the next headline. If the Republicans take control maybe this will happen: Republicans will realize they are as responsible for what happens, or doesn’t happen, in Washington as President Obama down the street. They, too, will be held accountable AND responsible for progress/lack of progress for the country.

          Together, maybe those two elements will break the gridlock. It's happened before. Books have been written on how divided government can work. Some think what we have today (a Republican House and Democratic control of the Senate and White House) is divided. But that isn't the true divided govern. Control of Congress by one party and control of the White House by the other;  that is divided government.


               Accountability tends to make one responsible. It’s easy to shoot off your mouth when there’s nothing you can do about something. When you are accountable, there’s a lot less mouth shooting.  As things stand today, Republicans can block the President and claim (in their minds) victory. The President can point to the “Tea Party” blocking all the good he wants to do. No one wins. Except maybe those who raise money for each side.

               But, with a Republican Congress and a Democrat in the White House, I don’t think that politicking will fly with the voters for long. They will expect progress.

               So, let me be clear, having extreme Right Wingers in control scares me. They tend to be sanctimonious and driven by a doctrine many find wrong.  Not my cup of tea. Nor are extreme liberal Democrats who seem to have a knee-jerk reaction to anything that threatens their theology or arrogance. Neither animal is built to govern, only to block, oh, and to pontificate.

               But with a Democrat in the White House who is concerned, as are all Presidents at this stage of their tenure, with legacy; and a Republican-controlled Congress that wants to stay in control, maybe, maybe we can get off the dime and get some things done. 

                I hope.



 


2 Comments
Gerry Nelson link
12/9/2015 01:52:28 pm

Well said! One can only hope the balance we need in our government will come back to the essentials. What is good for our country and the people of the United States.

Reply
Rose link
4/29/2019 09:41:39 am

I find it good to have a constant opposition to whoever is in power.

Reply



Leave a Reply.

    RSS Feed

     
    Follow @bjaycooper

    Archives

    March 2023
    February 2023
    January 2023
    December 2022
    November 2022
    October 2022
    September 2022
    August 2022
    July 2022
    June 2022
    May 2022
    April 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013
    July 2013
    June 2013
    May 2013
    April 2013
    March 2013

    B. Jay Cooper

    B. Jay is a former deputy White House press secretary to Presidents Reagan and George H.W. Bush. He also headed the communications offices at the Republican National Committee, U.S. Department of Commerce, and Yale University. He is a former reporter and is the retired deputy managing director of APCO Worldwide's Washington, D.C., office.
    He is the father of three daughters and grandfather of five boys and one girl. He lives in Marion, Mass.

powered by bjaycooper.com