Christopher Shays, a former Republican congressman from Connecticut’s Fairfield County, penned a recent op-ed in the Connecticut Post in which he laments the toxic political discourse in our country, and claims that our leadership lacks objectivity.
The whole essay lays blame on one person, his supporters and his party. He opens his essay with references to how the German and Italian people were swept up by the likes of Hitler and Mussolini. The reference is all too clear ; yet what can be more toxic than a statement like that! Yes, what happened on January 6 should never happen again. It should be a wakeup call for political leaders of both parties that our democracy becomes very fragile when government is unresponsive to the concerns of the electorate and manipulative in their raw exercise of power.
This poisonous political climate began years before 1/6/2021, not as a result of disputed election vote tallies, rules , and court cases. It started during the presidential campaign of 2016 when each of the major parties failed to nominate someone who could be wholly trusted. Americans should never be left with such a choice. Nevertheless, the battle lines were drawn; the issues were presented and debated; and the voters decided.
What followed was a relentless attack on the new president which continued on both him and his supporters for the next four years. It was a series of partisan assaults, accusations and investigations fueled by phony conspiracy theories at the highest level of government while being promoted by a hostile media. Two failed attempts to remove the president from office was an unprecedented attack on the President and the Presidency itself for purely political advantage. Some saw it as an attempt to subvert the will of the people.
What continued during this very toxic period were very well orchestrated rants against the President , his cabinet and his supporters by the likes of Congresswoman Maxine Waters and others. Personal and physical attacks on government officials in restaurants and on the streets of Washington, DC brought opposition to a whole new level.
Who can forget one of the most outrageous scenes in the history of the US Congress when Speaker Pelosi maliciously tore up her copy of President Trump's State of the Union address as the Nation watched on TV? Talking about toxicity in full view, recall the confirmation hearings of Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh.
Unfortunately, the election of 2020 was held during this unfavorable political climate compounded by an unprecedented pandemic. It was a perfect storm. The unscrupulous ways the 2020 election was conducted and monitored included heavily biased campaign news coverage, slanted presidential debate platforms, inaccurate and misleading polling numbers and the manipulation of voting rules and procedures had all the ingredients for toxic politics.
Even with the defeat of Donald Trump in his re-election bid, Americans are still as divided as ever. The Democrats, not satisfied with their unremarkable victory are doubling down. They continue on the road of the politics of destruction. Their party is heavily invested in the politics of race- the most vile form of toxic leadership. They continue playing pandemic politics as they did when demonizing President Trump's response to the crisis.
Former Congressman Shays wishes he were back in Congress. There was a time I wished that as well but if his article is an indication of a campaign strategy, he should stay retired. Instead, why not get back into the game to help fight inflation, soaring energy prices, the disaster at the southern border, rampant urban crime and the dangerous moves toward unchecked federal power. Democrats won't let Trump go . Is their hold on power so tenuous that they need him as their only political strategy? ###
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