Where Have All the Flowers Gone – Peter, Paul and Mary
Reason
As I was writing Monday’s essay on the Democrats in the Senate (Don’t Blame Joe) I had an underlying question. Why, if 79% of the US population are in favor of another COVID relief package (Pew), would any reasonable politician vote against it? Even 65% of Republicans are in favor of relief. So why would the Republicans in the House and Senate allow this to become a partisan issue, with them on the “wrong” side, when almost everyone is in favor it?
By the way, the Democrats did just the opposite last year, when it was Donald Trump’s COVID relief packages. The December 2020 vote in the Senate, 92 for the package, 6 against. The April 2020 vote – 96 to 0.
COVID Relief
One answer is that Republicans believe they can somehow brand this Relief Package as a “Radical Democratic Spending Spree”. If they get that done, they might cut into the 65% of Republicans who favor the “spree”. But that also seems to be a stretch. We can argue about how Republican “thought” is dominated by right-wing media. We can talk about the influence that Tucker Carlson and Sean Hannity have on what Republicans believe is true. (That’s a lot by the way, Carlson is still pushing the “stolen election” baloney, and a whole lot of folks still believe it).
And there are some Republicans (and former Republicans) who legitimately believe that the $1.9 Trillion endangers the economy but putting “too much gas on the fire”. The worry about inflation, and express concern about the impact of the debt on future generations. And, as I see it, as long as they voiced the same concerns about the trillion-dollar tax cut, then I respect their view. As I understand the economics, I think they are mistaken, but I respect it.
But COVID relief isn’t some “policy” that doesn’t directly impact lives. It’s money in the pocket, $1400 for many taxpaying Americans, with more for dependent kids. A family of four earning less than $150,000 a year will get $5600. That’s real money for almost everybody, whatever Carlson and Hannity say. And that doesn’t include the support for state and local governments, saving jobs in schools, police departments (more funding not less) and firehouses. And then there’s the “shot”: no matter where you stand on COVID – most people are looking forward to FREEDOM – and freedom means the “shot”. You don’t even have to turn “blue”, or lift your kilt (vague Braveheart reference).
Issues Aren’t Important
So how does Republican stonewalling make political sense? How does the stunt pulled by Senator Ron Johnson, making the poor Senate clerks read seven hundred pages of the bill into the record, work in his favor? How can Senate Republicans in marginal states, like Marco Rubio and Ron Johnson himself, vote against what even 65% of their own supporters want?
It just doesn’t matter. The voters aren’t voting on the issues, they are voting on the labels. Think of it this way: if Marco Rubio voted for the Relief Package, no Democrat is going to switch and vote for him. And there are plenty of Republican voters who would see his vote as a “sell out”: abandoning Trumpian support to give-in to the Democrats. The fact that the package will benefit them isn’t the point. It is a simple outcome of Trumpism, you’re either for or against. The issue doesn’t matter.
Republicans Richard Shelby (AL), Roy Blount (MO), Richard Burr (NC), Rob Portman (OH), and Pat Toomey (PA) have already figured it out. They’re retiring. Chuck Grassley of Iowa may join them. He’s 87, and while he hasn’t announced yet, it might be his time. But retirement hasn’t stopped them from “standing” with their Party, it just takes the pressure off of having to please their voters.
Both Sides
And in all honesty, Democrats aren’t very different either. Look at the “heat” that Joe Manchin is taking for not toeing the Party line. We are polarized to the point that right and wrong, good and bad, progressing the United States forward isn’t the issue. It’s simply about partisanship, votes “on the barrel head”.
Personally, I look at Governor Mike DeWine of Ohio as a classic example. He is a Republican, and on most issues follows the Republican line. But he has attempted to govern through the COVID crisis, making many of the unpopular calls to restrict businesses and life to control the virus. But he’s also realistic. The Democrats, like me, who praise his work on COVID, still aren’t likely to vote for him in the 2022 Gubernatorial race. And his own Republicans are likely to put a COVID denier on the ballot in the primary against him, say, Congressman Jim Jordan. And, looking at the Republican electorate in Ohio, Jordan might well win.
Post-Issue Era
In the past four years we talked about the “post-truth era”. Looking at politics today, we are in a “post-issue” era as well. For all but the “wedge” issues like abortion and gun control and COVID controls, the topic really doesn’t matter. It’s simply which side wins.
So when we look forward to the rest of the next Congressional two-year term until the 2022 elections, don’t expect reasonable discussion of issues and policies, at least in public. Every issue will be contested on partisan rather than practical ones. And the cost/benefit analysis of political reasons is clear. Both sides voters are demanding absolute adherence to their party, or risk “primarying” from some more “dedicated to the cause” soul.
There is little benefit in speaking reason, or taking the “middle ground”.
