Hear, Hear!

You will not believe it, but I have been rooting for the GOP. As well deserved
as its recent drubbings have been, the fact is, single-party governance is
invariably a recipe for overreaching, the Bush years proved that inarguably. So
for the sake of the checks and balances that make our system work, I would like
to see the party get off the mat.

Hear, Hear! Leonard Pitts delivers bang on regarding an idea I've been trying to work into a bloggable form. I think many liberals and moderates are in the same position as I: we're relieved to have seen the Republicans get their just desserts over the last two elections, and relieved by the sense that some grown up, intelligent, and yes, elite (in the sense of the best in the field) individuals are shaping national policy and discussion. But we're deeply troubled by the fact that the "loyal opposition" seems to view its role as that of the pissy kid who shouts at his playmates and says "I'm takin' your ball and going home."

My sense is that Republicans nominally support a two or more party system- just as long as they win all the elections. In other words, elections should have more than one party. Governance should be only one party, the party that believes governance is a problem.

Most of those I discuss this issue with agree with my point of view, that any party- including democrats- that has unobstructed, unchallenged power, will ultimately cause great harm. In other words, I want rational opposition; I want to be challenged; I want alternative points of view. Not only that, we need those opposing points of view. I suppose that's a big reason I tend to lean democrat: looking back over that string of wants and needs, it looks very much like a scientist's perspective. The way toward clearer understanding is not through dogma and certainty, it's through a pruning of the less supportable ideas.

The analogy I've used in discussion lately, though, is this: suppose you went out for drinks and appetizers with a colleague. You say, "I want an iced tea and the jalepeno poppers." Your colleague says, "I want to cut the waitress's throat and drink her blood. I'll pass on the appetizers."

Now, your task is to find the compromise position.

Anyone who "honestly" tries to find a compromise here is just as crazy as your colleague. This is why democrats, right now, in addition to trying to find a way forward, need to be courting and encouraging rational conservatives. Because whether you want to admit it or not, our side cannot do it alone. And because what passes for "mainstream" republicanism, as we close the first decade of this new millenium, is certifiably insane.

Followup: Just a few stories later, I came across this. "At the age of 74 and after 53 years, I have finally quit the Republican Party and have re-registered as an independent voter. " The mayor of Waldport, a small coastal town here in Oregon, has sent a Letter to the Editor in the Oregonian, outlining his disillusion with his party. I'd like to hear what he thinks about... well, pretty much anything.