The Third Rail Election.
“And those who were seen dancing, were thought to be crazy, by those who could not hear the music.”
― Friedrich Nietzsche
One of the benefits of being a life-long educator on social media is the unique perspective I have gained by watching, my ex students, friends and family, struggle with the election. The past two days were strikingly poignant. The dueling threads of discord were a mix of disillusionment and enthusiasm with both sides righteous statements blaring full throated with no hope of swaying the other side. The strident posturing did not abate after the election; rather it has gained the momentum of an avalanche these past few days.
It is clear that the 2016 election was the Third Rail Election. For those who do not know, the “Third rail of a nation’s politics is a metaphor for any issue so controversial that it is “charged” and “untouchable” to the extent that any politician or public official who dares to broach the subject will invariably suffer politically. It is most commonly used in North America.” (Wikipedia) During this election, however, the third rail was not an policy issue, but the candidates themselves.
For liberals Donald Trump is beyond reproach. The left sees him as one who epitomizes the economic elite that gained wealth at the expense of the middle class. He outsourced jobs, failed to pay the hard working contractors who helped to build his empire, and used the spoils of his greed and excess for personal extravagance. His many personal failings: philandering, sexism, assault, denigrating women and the disabled, etc. are an abomination. He is thin skinned, mean and has openly supported Russia and its leader Putin at the expense of American democracy. These sins will not be forgiven by the left.
For Conservatives Hillary Clinton is equally beyond the pale. The right sees her as one who epitomizes the abuses and excesses of the professional political elite. She used her political influence to avoid prosecution while rigging the system for personal gain. Hillary, and the left as a whole, place tolerance and fairness before common sense. Men in particular are castrated under the yoke of political correctness and liberty has died under the weight of conformity. Secretary of State Clinton personal failings stand out. She lies with ease and fails to take accountability for her actions. She is considered a traitor by the right to her country and her sins will never be forgiven.
These past few days both the left and the right danced to the music they alone could hear. Their finger pointing, condemnation and vitriol coalesced into two stark and divergent camps. All the while the sense of unease grows among the populace.
The goal here is not to advocate for one camp over the other, to condemn Trump or to embrace him as a hero. That path would be an ineffective use of our time and energy. When you spend a lifetime working with history, you learn that the only value in looking back is to change the course ahead.
Our national problem is not the third rail, nor is it our third rail candidates. The problem is our unwillingness to collaborate in order to find a better path.
The irony here is that collaboration remains one of our greatest national traits. Americans collaborate each and every day. The power of this collaboration is evident at work, the sports teams we idolize, the films we watch, and the music we listen to. During 9/11 and the Boston Marathon Bombing our first responders excelled at collaboration. Lives were saved because competing agencies put their egos aside so that the greater good could be served.
Politics, unfortunately, is the one glaring exception. We disdain bi-partisanship while we call for it. Our leaders throw their rabid followers the red meat of vitriol and the masses then join the feast. We call for a change to the “broken” system only to re-elect the incumbents who broke the system in the first place.
It was not always this way. The Founding Fathers were collaborators. They came from different political perspectives but took the time to hear the music of their counterparts. They did not agree. Hamilton and Jefferson were political rivals, and Hamilton’s distaste for Jefferson was second only to his hatred for Burr. Yet Jefferson and Hamilton worked together. The result of these efforts were transformative. The United States Constitution was created, the capitol was moved to Washington D.C., the national debt was assumed by the Federal government and Jefferson, with Hamilton’s help, became the Third President of the United States. The willingness of the Founding Fathers to work together made all the difference. Other examples abound. JFK’s call to a New Frontier, Eisenhower’s interstate System, TR’s formation of the national parks are some that come to mind. Others exist on a local, state or county scale.
Given President Trump’s status as a Third Rail Candidate it would seem that collaboration is unattainable. The left will not work with him, just as I suspect, the right would not have worked with Mrs. Clinton if she had won. But that is not, in and of itself, the end game. Collaberation can work. The challenge for both the left and the right is to adhere to former Speaker of the House Tip O’Neil’s motto that “All politics are local.” Our national problems need solutions. It is high time that invested parties work locally to fix these issues through collaberation. The goal should never be to win, but rather to help.
