Obviously different people possess differing degrees of acumen and understanding of how the art of politics is practiced and played in the real world. Let me attempt to remedy this lack of political knowledge in any of my readers, at least to the extent I can. I’d like to get them up to speed because the game of politics (as opposed to the art of it) is, in part, a really fast and sophisticated form of battling wits in effort to win. It can be exhilarating.
For the naïf let’s start with a textbook definition.
According to Wikipedia “Politics is the set of activities that are associated with making DECISIONS in GROUPS, or other forms of power relations between individuals, such as the distribution of resources or status.” I added the capital letters so you won’t later miss my point.
Now philosophically, I’m in the Bernie/Warren camp as to what needs to be done in the country to reign in plutocrats. If we don’t it will eventually prove to be the undoing of the Republic. The wide (and rapidly growing) disparity in wealth in this country is not only morally incomprehensible, but also is morally indefensible. And might I add that I’ve held these views for longer than most of my readers have been alive. In fact, I’ve got underwear that’s older than some of my readers.
Now, with that out of the way, how do we go about turning the ship of state in a more egalitarian direction without encountering such gale-force headwinds of opposition that we’re blown off course? This is going to be the question of the decade.
Of course, electing more candidates with views similar to the “The Squad” is a good start. We certainly need more and more progressives in Congress.
However, youthful impetuousness has to be tempered with the cold water of political reality. As much as I would like instant change in America in regards to a whole host of issues that I (and others) have been advocating for — such as police and criminal justice reform, affordable healthcare for all Americans, immigration reform, a living wage and a $10,000-a-year base income for all citizens — for years, political reality informs me that bringing about such changes are going to take some time and effort. Plus replacing a number of right-wing members of Congress.
Do I like that? No. But it’s a political reality.
But here’s another political reality: During the primaries it’s OK for Democrats or Republicans to fight among themselves for the nomination. They all do it. However, once the party has made its choice via a democratic process, it behooves all sane supporters to get onboard with the choice.
While I might have preferred Bernie, Kamala, Warren, or my personal favorite, Cory Booker, as the nominee, none of them probably could have beaten Trump as they all are too far to the left. Biden, with all of his warts, was our best shot, and, by the way, he (and we) won.
But anyone in the political arena who doesn’t understand the basic tenet of politics, I have to question not only their political acumen, but also their sanity. The goal, remember, was to set Trump out like the cat, not make snarky comments for no purpose other than some form of revenge for not being given a position with the Biden team in the general election.
What? You didn’t know what spurred Nina’s “shit” comment? Allegedly she tried to get a job on Biden’s team after Bernie was out of the race and was told, “thanks, but no thanks.” This pissed her off. Sour grapes, plain and simple. Juvenile behavior.
So, for Nina to make her despicable comment (in any form) during the Biden/Trump race was tantamount to political treason. It also was a form of political suicide. Fact is, she just doesn’t know it yet, but she’s all but dead — at least politically.
Send her to Congress if you wish, but don’t expect much to be sent back to the 11th congressional district in return. She’d be persona non grata around the White House and the halls of Congress as well. That, children, like it or not, is how the game is played. She won’t be given a seat at the table by her colleagues, and you know what they say, “If you’re not at the table, you’re on the menu.”
Why would we send Nina to Washington carrying so much heavy baggage she won’t be able to effectively do what we send our representatives to Washington to do?
All of the people in the district will suffer if we send a pariah to represent us since she won’t be able to bring anything back home. The old-timers in the House will dog her out and make her look as bad as they can to assure that she never gets re-elected. Remember that part about “making decisions in groups”? And there’s little she can do to stop them, and they know it.
Not for nothing it’s called “hardball.”
The 11th Congressional District would be lucky to get scraps off the congressional table if Nina is the one representing us. Hey, don’t be mad at me because she tore her ass! Nobody told her to say stupid shit; she did that all on her own.
Is this right or fair? That’s in the eye of the beholder. You can decide that for yourself, but what you can’t decide is how Nina would be received in Washington. That’s up to the established and entrenched political machine, like it or not. And the machine would not like her, you can bet on that.
Folks, let’s try to deal with the realities we are faced with, not some idealistic version of how we might wish the country operates politically in some distant future. And the present truth is, Nina will not be allowed to effectively represent us or anyone else in Washington.
Like I asked before, “Is this right or fair?” No, it’s politics.
If Nina wants to be a lightening rod to attract attention to herself by making outlandish comments simply because she was in a snit over not getting a job, she’s free to do so — and I’m free to criticize her rash and foolish decisions.
Fortunately (or unfortunately) the only thing we have to base future conduct on with any individual is past conduct. And by that measure Nina is too risky an entity for us to entrust the fate of the 11th congressional district to her unsteady — and really juvenile — hands.
Just because Nina’s half crazy doesn’t mean we’re supposed to be whole crazy. (Sorry, I know that I should have used “wholly” but it just didn’t sound as good). This isn’t personal with me people, I simply don’t want to be represented by someone who won’t be allowed to do the job.
Now, go back and reread the part again about “making decisions in groups.” Let’s not book passage on the Titanic, folks, by sending Nina to Washington.
