Trump-R and Hillary-D Symbolize Decline of the American Political Party System

It’s time for new wine, new wineskins, and a people to freely consume without fear of the tax collectors

“However [political parties] may now and then answer popular ends, they are likely in the course of time and things, to become potent engines, by which cunning, ambitious, and unprincipled men will be enabled to subvert the power of the people and to usurp for themselves the reins of government, destroying afterwards the very engines which have lifted them to unjust dominion.” ― George Washington

At the beginning of the 2016 presidential election cycle, I felt it possible that if Trump and Hillary were the nominees offered by the two major parties, that the American people would gain their senses and look to third parties who have been cut out of the political process in the past. In the past, leaving millions of people disenfranchised has been the norm. Laws that protect the two-party system serve as barriers to entry in states across America. This has led to a system where, not only are third parties are at a competitive disadvantage, but the entire infrastructure of polling has left them out as competitors to candidates running in the RNC or DNC.

In this political cycle, despite the fact that the Libertarian Party was on the ballot in all 50 states, and the Green Party was on 45 state ballots, neither were allowed to be represented on the debate stage that is controlled by the Commission on Presidential Debates. The Commission was established in 1987 and seized control of the debates from the League of Women Voters. When this was done, the league's president, Nancy M. Neuman said, ''I think they're trying to steal the debates from the American voters.''  She was correct.

This duopoly that controls our political system has devolved into the worst choices for president in my lifetime, and probably the worst in American history. The weird dynamic is that because the selections are so horrible, instead of being rejected by the American people, devotees of the two major parties have taken the legitimate position that each is the lesser of two evils. Ironically, the brutal realization that neither of these candidates are worthy of the highest office of the land, their despicable nature has galvanized their supporters in a parade of the “sky is falling” hysteria.

Unfortunately, the truth about our situation is more daunting than just having two horrible major party presidential nominees. The truth is that this election has uncovered the ugly underbelly of American politics and exposed legions of people willing to tolerate and enthusiastically support misogyny, racism, xenophobia, nativism, Islamophobia, lying, deceit, false piety, war mongering (nothing new there), and a plethora of violence imposed by the state. Friends have parted ways (likely a better situation for all parties) and families are at odds. People have come out of the shadows.

We have discovered that some who were often respected as voices of devotion towards liberty, righteousness, religious freedom, gender equality, and unbridled truth seekers to be far short of that impression. We have discovered those who are vulnerable to obviously false propaganda and gullible beyond previous imagination. But we have also found those who have demonstrated consistent views and advocacy of rectitude, respect for humanity, devotion to integrity, and willingness to be an uncompromising voice of legitimacy.

The problem is us. Americans must look in the mirror and tell that person to be a better human being and to stop enabling such destructive ideals that tear the fabric of what it means to be American. I find it somewhat ironic that some older Americans often denigrate younger Americans as lesser quality, lower stock, sub-grade in nature when they themselves lived in an age where it was acceptable to deny people legal and equal access to restaurants, marriage, lodging, work and due process. Many of these same people are drawn to the message of “Make America Great Again.” Larger numbers of young Americans are rejecting that mentality and that’s a sign of exceptionalism.

The “shining city on a hill,” while looking haggard and pale, offers great promise of the future.  But as Jesus noted in the book of Mark, “No one pours new wine into old wineskins. If he does, the wine will burst the skins, and both the wine and the wineskins will be ruined. Instead, new wine is poured into new wineskins.” It’s time for new ideas, fresh approaches, more freedom and better democracy. These ideas don’t work well in the old and corrupt political parties. It’s time for new wine, new wineskins, and a people to freely consume without fear of the tax collectors.

http://www.nytimes.com/1987/02/19/us/democrats-and-republicans-form-panel-to-hold-presidential-debates.html