What Happens After Trump & Pence?

One way or another this _____________ with Trump will end — and probably not well for him or us. In any case, have you asked yourself what happens after he’s gone?

Are you assuming we’ll simply go back to campaigns, elections and congressional behavior as usual? Either way, stop for a moment and take stock of where our electoral and governance systems are failing us.

1. Campaign failure — Consensus about the main presidential candidates in the last election was that both we’re unlikeable and untrustworthy. As usual, both ran vacuous campaigns, big on slogans and soundbites, light on substance. As usual, campaigns were filled with dirty tricks with the added creepy twist of exploiting personal online data to micro-target you and send you intrusive propaganda. Congressional and state campaigns aren’t any different. There’s no reason to assume this will change.
2. Media failure — As usual, media campaign coverage was obsessed with the horserace and not real issues impacting real people’s lives and future. Online media was either confirming or polarizing. Coverage of congressional and state campaigns aren’t really different. The disturbing new twist was the deliberate spreading of fake information to discredit the candidate most disliked. There’s no reason to assume this will change.
3. Electoral failure — For the second time in 16 years — two of the last three presidents — the candidate who got the most votes lost as a result of an antiquated electoral college system. A system designed to prevent real democracy from electing an incompetent demagogue. At the congressional and state level prejudicial partisan gerrymandering, voter suppression, voter ID games, etc. are designed to rig the election outcome. There’s no reason to assume this will change.
4. Governance failure — Enough time has passed to see Trump’s real character and skill level. Character-wise, he’s a mean-spirted, narrow-minded, pathological liar who, at a minimum, is probably a money-launder. Skill-wise, he’s an incompetent conman who lacks any sense of history, doesn’t read and has no inclination to learn. There’s always a good number of congressional and state politicians who are equally unqualified to govern. There’s no reason to assume this will change.
5. Legislative failure — As usual, ugly and counterproductive political partisanship and careers are the only things that matter to politicians. Winning, regardless of merit or best interest of the country are irrelevant considerations beyond rhetorical PR spin. Both political parties at national and state levels are increasingly adrift from facts and common sense and obsessed with the game of amoral finger pointing and self-serving logic without compromise. There’s no reason to assume this will change.
6. Policy failure — There’s no pretense of discerning what might be the best policies to help all citizens and the country. After decades of our collective resources being grossly mismanaged, increasing economic inequality and a deteriorating infrastructure and safety net it’s clear policy is solely based on crass power. A willingness to bend, break or change any rule to advance careers and reward special interests friends and punish opponents regardless of the fairness, inequity or harm. There’s no reason to assume this will change.
7. Accountability failure — Since the same partisan politicians are the ones who write the rules governing their election and behavior, it’s clear why the entire electoral and political system has been so heavily gamed and distorted that there’s no longer any real accountability. Further, as with Watergate, Iran-Contra and now the Russian games, any real accountability takes years so, as a result, the public’s interests and well-being stagnate. There’s no reason to assume this will change.
8. Trust failure — It’s easy, especially for partisans, ideologues and special interests to say we’re in a unique political situation and time that will pass. That this is an aberration. A once in a generation or lifetime anomaly. Except that it’s not. There’s nothing remotely representative or democratic about this how the electoral and political systems operate that’s worthy of public trust — unless you have a deep pocket. There’s no reason to assume this will change.
9. Future failure — There’s absolutely no reason to assume politicians in this antiquated system have any incentive to improve the system itself. To the contrary, their careers and benefits they garner create a real conflict of interest. Thus, there’s no reason to assume our well-being, prosperity or role in the world will change and improve.

So, ask yourself honestly:

• Why and when will the campaign system, the electoral system, the useless partisanship, and lack of accountability change?
• What’s will stop other incompetent, pathological liars and conmen from winning any political office?
• What’s going to stop the ugly partisan legislative system from continuing to generate policies that undermine the well-being and prosperity of citizens, the country or the world?
• Why should you have any expectation that politicians in this political system will guide us to a better future?
• Why will your vote every two or four years for the lesser of evil partisan candidates aligned with special interests do anything beyond rearranging deck chairs on this leaky, antiquated boat we call a representative system?

Maybe it’s time you started thinking and talking about exploring how we can design a better system of government in parallel. One designed for the 21st century and beyond that functions in a more democratic way for all now and in the future. One that depends more on our collective intelligence and less on the career ambitions of politicians and special interest group influence.

Suffice it to say, this can’t be as good as it gets. If it is, we’re all in much bigger trouble than just ___________ Trump.

Doc Huston

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