Presidential race portends continued division

Having watched both the GOP and DNC primaries in the past two weeks, to the extent that I could stomach them, I walked away with a firm grip on what one party is against (or more appropriately, who one party is against), but no clear idea of what either party was for. The DNC intensely dislikes Donald Trump. That memo has been received loud and clear, and they have no particular affection for middle-America either.

Their platform issues go largely unarticulated, with good reason. When, in 2016, Hillary pledged to put miners out of work, her candor was not rewarded. The same applies to re-regulation, tax increases, and a return to energy dependence. They are, however, quite overt in saying that the administration dropped the ball on the COVID-19 pandemic. They are less clear on what they would have done differently, but they are pretty sure the orange man botched it.

The GOP was able to crow about jobs (for which the DNC claimed credit as well), several hundred miles of border fence that were largely replacement and upgrades, and a substantial number of Federal Judges confirmed by a Senate majority. Polls show that most GOP voters are primarily motivated by economic issues, yet there were few (if any) details about the economic manipulations that the administration had in store for the post-2020 economy.

As I reflect on the political divides between us, I wonder what will be worse: if Biden wins or loses. Either way, it won’t be pretty. I’m afraid that political differences will continue to deepen in either instance.

In addition to a strong, personal dislike of the administration, the current rhetoric of the left is driven by a sociological theory dubbed, “Critical Race Theory,” also known as CRT. CRT has been circulating in academic circles for about 40 years and argues that we are an inherently warlike, xenophobic, and clannish people. Given the history of Europeans with the Africans and Native Americans, the Catholics with the Jews and South Americans, the Vikings with the Catholics, the Tutsis with the Hutus, Serbs, Croats, and the Muslims, the current persecution of the Uyghurs by the CCP and nearly anything that has ever happened in the middle east, it’s a tough accusation to deny.

The CRT theory, however, does little to recognize the gains made in past years. It even gives license to the left to tag anyone who disagrees with them as a racist. Even if you don’t have a racist bone in your body, you are a racist. You just don’t know it yet. You are the beneficiary of white privilege (even if you aren’t white) and it’s not enough to not be a racist, one must actively be “anti-racist.”

Don’t get me wrong. Evils continue to exist in the world and we still have a long way to go. Like anything else political, religious, metaphysical, or scientific that doesn’t reflect my personal experiences, I’m going to question it.

That’s the rhetorical side, but there’s also a militant side. BLM and ANTIFA Violence, aided and abetted by big-city governments looks like it will be with us for a while, but that’s nothing. Wait until amiable, loveable Uncle Joe sends Beto O’Rourke after us to take our guns (as he has promised that he would). That’s going to get ugly too.

The fact is that both parties are, at best, fractured coalitions. The left tends to be leaning far left of center under the spell of “The Squad,” (Ocasio-Cortez, Ilhan, and Omar). While the reduction of carbon emissions is a noble endeavor, the economic bloodbath it might take to get there remains a point of contention within the party and a further advance toward European Socialism is not seen as a winner at the ballot box.

The right is split between the traditional, chamber of commerce Republicans (A.K.A. the never Trumpers) and the new party that emerged with the peasant uprising of 2016. While the never-Trumpers are decidedly in the minority, the sentiments that drive them are chipping away at the swing votes that won the white house four years ago.

The GOP chooses to present the campaign as a clear choice between capitalism and a more socialistic future for the country. The coronavirus, however, has robbed the GOP of a strong, clear economic argument and forced them to pivot to law and order. Democrat-run big cities are currently under siege and the DNC can’t be trusted to keep the country safe. They managed to make it through four nights of their convention without even touching the subject, which did not go unnoticed.

In the meantime, the DNC would prefer the race to be a referendum on current leadership, which is a hard topic to ignore. As much as I personally approve of most of the administration’s policies, our commander in chief is personally the back end of a horse. This also does not go unnoticed, and to the extent that folks favor style over substance, it will be felt at the ballot box.