Democrats should resist the urge to block the system

For the purposes of this article, I do not have reasonable authority to reveal the nature of the election itself – that will happen in the coming months and years. Every election is different, and this one was pretty close. The American people have demanded change through the system, and we should expect a good faith effort to make it happen from the Republican Party. They will be in the driver’s seat and will have the means to do so.

So, we will have a new president with an aggressive and expansive agenda, (likely) control of both houses of the US Congress and a friendly Supreme Court that is unlikely to be able to prevent some pretty radical changes in the world of politics. There are also solid Democratic delegations in both chambers that will smooth the rough edges of his wildest policy statements made during the campaign – if they want to participate rather than create gridlock from the sidelines.

As citizens, we must recognize the difference between crazy campaign rhetoric and what is actually “doable” in the legislative chambers. Mass deportations, for example, seem logistically impossible without a massive domestic military commitment, and would also be astronomically expensive—and likely not acceptable to either constitutionalists or budget-weary members of either party.

Opponents of the new regime need to carefully consider whether “massive resistance” is a wise strategy. If ever there was a time for Democrats to “choose their battles carefully,” it is now.

This doesn’t mean they have to accept any foolish talk cooked up by the White House; and things that lie outside the political arena are exempt: mistreating people because of their identity, prosecuting people they don’t like with the Justice Department hammer, stripping entire agencies of their staff and replacing them with untested loyalists, and so on further. strong resistance must be put up.

The chaotic House GOP has simply refused to address these issues over the past two years. Their excuse was that all decisions came from Democrats. The shoe is on the other foot. Democrats will be sorely tempted to play the same tit-for-tat game. No.

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We are locked in a cycle of inaction, and if we are ever to return to something like the co-partisan, cooperative politics that has served the Republic for most of its existence, there must be an olive branch from one side. another. I imagine Democrats are in a very strong position to do this. right now.

Most of the issues central to the new team are of mutual interest to both sides: food prices, housing costs, insurance issues, border controls, international trade, shortages and health care policy. Suspending the fear of innovation is essential: the cues coming from the Republican Party should not dissuade Democrats from trying to work through and with them. Otherwise, by giving up our right to participate in the conversation, we will end up with the same questions and problems that have stalled us for almost a decade. This is unacceptable.

The problems are real, these are not talking points. Good politics comes from full and free discussion of options—and blocking ideas because of their partisan origins is foolish.

The initiative belongs to the newcomer, but problems are problems for all of us. If they don’t act honestly, Democrats risk reducing “governance” to simply prolonging the campaign, which I would like to remind us all they are simply lost.

Would I personally prefer a different outcome? Yes. Decisively. But this did not happen. Somehow we need to come together on the same issues to solve real problems – the fact that Donald Trump is the master problem maker and that many of the solutions will have a conservative bent doesn’t change that reality.

R. Bruce Anderson is the Sarah D. and L. Kirk McKay Jr. Chair in American History, Government, and Civics and the Miller Distinguished Professor of Political Science at Florida Southern College. He is also a columnist for The Ledger, a political consultant and commentator for WLKF radio in Lakeland.