Category: Politics

What A Moderate Truly Believes

By Gary Bennett

As seen in the Frederick News-Post Thursday, August 6, 2019

With apologies to the Doobie Brothers who took What a Fool Believes to the top of the charts in 1979, here is what I believe moderates like me want. I’m not going to tell you what political persuasion I favor, but maybe you can guess by the end of this article. Hopefully not. The political fringes of both parties get all the attention, but I firmly believe that most Americans, largely silent Americans, fall somewhere in the middle.

As a moderate, I believe both sides get the benefit of the doubt until they abuse that privilege.  How can they do that? By denigrating and demonizing the other side with a wild-eyed, foaming-at-the-mouth kind of glee. This is rampant today and gets us nowhere. Clearly there are patriots on both sides that care deeply about their country and fight ferociously for what they believe in. But unfortunately, there are also politicians, consultants, lobbyists, TV and radio personalities, and even ordinary Americans who see this as a big game that must have clear winners and losers. I hope we can start to aim higher than that and that moderates can lead the way. I’ll take a look at just three issues—gun safety, immigration, and health care policy.

Moderates do not want to take guns away from law-abiding citizens. Why would we?  By definition, they are good people. I don’t see the attraction in guns, but then again I don’t see the attraction in kale and quinoa. But I have family and friends that enjoy guns immensely for sport and self defense, and that is fine. What moderates do want is sensible regulation of guns that brings ownership up to the same standards as automobiles—meaning licensing and registration. It also means closing gun show loopholes, universal criminal background checks, limiting new sales of assault weapons and other guns of war, and emergency confiscation of guns by family members of troubled individuals. Is that really too much to ask?  I guess I’m asking responsible gun owners to take a small hit for the American people so there is a little less chance of random gun violence and saying unexpected, sorrowful goodbyes to loved ones. I believe the fact that the GOP-controlled Virginia legislature would not even discuss gun regulation during a recent special session called by the governor has sealed their fate in the next election. Moderates will put up with a lot of nonsense, but not dereliction of duty when people are dying.

Moderates believe in an immigration policy that meets migrants, refugees, and asylum seekers with kindness, not vitriol and hatred. It is the height of arrogance to deny or forget that we are all sons and daughters of immigrants that benefitted from open borders. There but for the grace of God go I. We don’t want open borders but we don’t think a wall is the answer either. We wish for the Statue of Liberty to remain the symbol of America, not a steel wall. We want orderly immigration that is administered by more judges. We want more aid to Latin American countries so that we tackle the problem at its origin, helping their citizens have a chance at a better life in their own country. Ask yourself how desperate people have to be to set off on a 1,000 mile trek with small children to an unfamiliar land with no promise of a better life at the end of it. Immigration is a vexing problem, but unsolvable? Of course not.  We simply need to take the emotion out and demand our politicians meet in the middle.

Moderates believe that quality health care is a right for all and not a privilege for only those who can afford it. We also don’t believe that Medicare for All is the answer. Medicare and Medicaid are already underfunded and rife with abuse. It’s difficult to see how this could be sensibly financed and managed despite what the politicians say. Overall reform of our health care system is sorely needed. It does not work well for many of us. Obamacare, while not perfect, was a step in the right direction. Threats to repeal Obamacare, with nothing in the works to replace it, are irresponsible. Most Americans seem to sense this, yet the threats continue.

For all issues, moderates want our best minds to come together and, in the best case, reach consensus or, if need be, compromise. We are tired of all the rancor and political scorekeeping. Words are cheap. Reasonable politicians who can show the level of maturity needed to build consensus and reach compromise should get our vote no matter the party affiliation. It won’t just happen. The message has to come loud and clear at the ballot box. Please join me in telling the two political fringes that we’ve had enough. This won’t be easy but as John Lennon said, “You may say I’m a dreamer, but I’m not the only one.” Search out candidates who don’t spout the party line automatically and don’t seem to have all the answers already but show thoughtfulness and a willingness to learn.

And one final thought–if you think your side is always right and the other side is always wrong, I congratulate you for having life figured out better than the rest of us. The freedom this affords must be quite satisfying. But just consider for a moment all the damage you are doing if you really are wrong after all. 

Who is Better at Pursuing Happiness–Conservatives or Progressives?

By Gary Bennett

As seen in the Frederick News-Post Wednesday, July 3, 2019

With his stirring words in the Declaration of Independence, Thomas Jefferson (and his committee of Founding Father editors) assures us that we have the inalienable right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. But in this time of great political strife, I was wondering who is generally happier – conservatives or progressives?  And, what is it that makes us happy anyway?  I was surprised to learn there is quite a bit of independent research on both counts.

Mr. Jefferson purposely referred to the ambiguous trait of happiness in his document over the more conventional right to pursue property, which many of his editors suggested. That is because the Declaration was not only to be the starting point to create a new nation but was also a call to arms against an oppressive ruler. It was agreed that the wide swath of property-less Americans at the time would be more likely to take up arms for the understandable concepts of life, liberty, and the chance to be happy. In the late 18th century the opportunity to marry, raise a family, practice the religion of your choice, and the chance to one day own property were the key factors to a happy life.

But what about today?  What makes us happy?  For many Americans it is being surrounded by a loving set of friends and family. For others it’s having a warm and welcoming home. For still others it may be the opportunity to pursue riches or the desire to serve others.  You may be surprised that the United Nations pretty much agrees with this assessment. In their World Happiness Report, this body rates lives from the “best possible” to “worst possible” and have found that the most important happiness traits are the presence of a good social support system, income security, and good health. You’ll note that income security does not mean being rich. That is not what most people want.  They want enough money to live securely and have what they need and not necessarily what they want.  One only has to consider the misery of many well heeled celebrities to know that is true.    

Of these three main happiness factors, it is clear that governmental policy can greatly affect the latter two. Of course government policy can vary widely from a progressive stance to a conservative stance, and depending on how well your political and social outlook matches these policies, personal happiness will increase or decrease.

Before deciding which political stance promotes the most happiness for the most people, it would be helpful to revisit what we mean by conservatism and progressivism. In general, conservatism maintains that the free market with little or no interference is best at creating a robust economy that pulls every individual to the level he or she deserves and in turn promotes income security and the means to pursue good health. For many, free market conservative principles do the best job of providing the best hope of attaining both. Progressives believe in “free-ish” markets that must have the safety rails of reasonable regulation to promote equity and justice not just for themselves but for others who are seen as disadvantaged through no fault of their own.

Minimum wage laws provide a good case study in the different outlooks as they pertain to happiness. Conservatives are wary of minimum wage laws and largely believe the free market and personal individual talent drives how much you are paid. This inherent fairness makes them happy. Progressives see flaws in this outlook because of the belief that all workers need the guarantee of a minimum living wage because, after all, we are all human beings and we don’t all start off from the same place. Conservatives want efficient outcomes; progressives favor just ones. There is no doubt that minimum wage laws have cost some jobs but it is also clear that the laws have promoted a more secure standard of living for some and reduced poverty.

So, who is happier – conservatives or progressives?  Like a lot of things today, it depends. There is a lot of research to suggest that conservatives are happier if you simply ask them. The Pew Research Center says that conservatives are 68% more likely to say they are very happy compared to progressives. Life style differences such as marriage and religion are cited as the main reasons. Most conservatives are married; most progressives are not. This is a matter of record.  And believe it or not marriage and happiness have been found to correlate very highly. Further, conservatives who practice a religion outnumber progressives four to one. Religious participants are nearly twice as likely to say they are very happy than nonparticipants. Progressives maintain that conservatives are simply inattentive to the misery of others, and if they were, they wouldn’t be so happy. Progressives are less likely to wash their hands to the perceived inequality present in society. 

But, there is an equal amount of research that says progressives are happier if you actually observe how they behave. One example is from Sean Wojcik, a respected psychological researcher from the University of California, who used linguistic analysis software and facial recognition software to analyze 9 million words in the Congressional Record, 47,000 tweets from 4,000 Twitter users with ties to conservative or progressive agendas, and about 1,000 candid photos of Members of Congress from newspapers, LinkedIn, and other sources throughout 2013 to judge happiness or the lack thereof.  From these findings it was clear that progressives displayed many more genuine smiles and overt happiness than conservatives.  Of course, the recent presidential reelection of Barack Obama may have had a lot to do with all the smiles.

So, how do you think Thomas Jefferson would think we are doing on the happiness scale? I think he would be pleased that the American experiment has largely succeeded and that most Americans are genuinely happy.  But, he would not be thrilled at the inequities and injustices that seem to run rampant in America today and drive so much unhappiness. Mr. Jefferson was a progressive of his time.  He was a republican-democrat battling against those such as Alexander Hamilton and other nationalists who wished to keep the day’s ruling class in power and not yield too much of it to rank and file Americans. Mr. Jefferson was also a pragmatist who did not shy away from compromise or hold his political rivals in bitter contempt. Despite personal loss, he was, without a doubt, a happy man and confident in the idea of America.

Why Trump?

By Gary Bennett

It is not news to anyone that this presidency is emphatically different than ones we’ve known in the past. To be sure, ‘different’ is what many people voted for, and we’ve certainly gotten it.  But, I can’t help wondering, is what we are getting now what we all bargained for? 


As seen in the Frederick News-Post Saturday, April 6, 2019.

There were high hopes that Mr. Trump would drain the swamp, give a voice to the voiceless, and put an end to political correctness. We are swampier than ever, of course, with many of his close aids either indicted or currently serving time, but there is no doubt that he has shaken the political establishment. Before he was elected, we were less sure about the actual policies he would pursue. After all, Mr. Trump is a former democrat who had no previous voting record and had previously espoused such non-conservative principles as the right to choose. 

During the primary campaign and general election we heard him talk about strengthening border security, lowering taxes, and bringing back good-paying manufacturing jobs, to name a few. I think we can all agree that he has tried to keep his promises but I also think we can agree that he has not been very successful in enacting the legislation that would make them so. He has done much better with executive orders, but of course they can be easily reversed upon the election of a president with opposing views, and most probably will be.

So, how did we get here?  Is it just a recalcitrant Congress that stands in his way? It can’t be that. The president’s party controlled all levers of government in 2017 and 2018 and still not much got accomplished. Is it obstructionist federal judges who can stop executive orders in their tracks with the wave of a pen? To some extent, yes. But I believe the biggest barrier is that we elected a businessman/television star with zero political and governmental experience. He simply doesn’t have the wherewithal to do well in this job and is not very good at picking people who can stay out of trouble and help him. Mom always told me that anyone could grow up to be president. But, that doesn’t mean anyone should.

To believe that someone with no government experience can get a majority of Americans and a majority of Congress to accept or at least tolerate his policies is to believe that there is not an art or science to governing. My old political science professors at Frostburg State University would be aghast and tell you otherwise. Horse trading, building consensus, persuasion, and good old-fashioned compromise are the building blocks of good governance. This is what our forefathers envisioned.

This president is woefully inadequate in all these areas.  When you combine these shortcomings with his penchant for insult and ridicule, it is no wonder there is constant turmoil and few legislative successes to point to. Would you go along with someone who constantly insulted you?  No, me neither. What may have worked well in a closely held business does not work well in government.

Some may say that Mr. Trump has been unfairly scrutinized and challenged at every turn. I say that is exactly what democracy is all about. Mr. Obama, Mr. Bush, and Mr. Clinton (you can go all the way back to Mr. Washington if you like) were all challenged to the fullest extent possible. That is what helps make America great and keeps us from becoming a dictatorship. You can bet that if Mr. Obama’s closest associates had been indicted and imprisoned like Mr. Trump’s, Congressional Republicans would be doing exactly what Democrats are doing now. As citizens we should insist upon nothing less.

I’m old enough to remember the Clinton Administration being continuously challenged at every turn by a newly energetic Republican Congressional majority in 1994. What did they do? The Clinton Administration redoubled efforts to look for areas of agreement and compromise wherever possible. For the current administration, compromise seems to be a dirty word.  Mr. Trump doesn’t seem to want to play the game. For him, there can only be winners and losers.

The reason that Mr. Clinton could rebound and govern effectively, turning over a roaring economy and budget surplus to Mr. Bush in 2001 was that his presidency was the culmination of his government experience, not the launching point. The same can be said for most presidents except the current one. Experience does matter.  If you don’t think so, try applying to be the publisher of this newspaper.

I don’t blame the Americans who voted for Mr. Trump in the handful of key states that decided the election for the lack of legislative progress and the constant rancor and turmoil we now live under. Given the choice between Mr. Trump and Mrs. Clinton – a highly flawed, unlikable, tainted candidate that represented the old guard — I can see where many Americans would want to take a chance on the exciting new irreverent star on the political scene.

What I don‘t understand and what I would love for my Republican friends to explain to me is why they chose Trump as their nominee over the better-prepared, better qualified conservative Republican candidates available at the time. After all, most held similar beliefs to Mr. Trump but also had a history in government and a record of getting things done in government that Mr. Trump did not. Does anyone not think that John Kasich, for example, would have fought hard for conservative principles but been willing to compromise to move this country forward?

Please tell us all what it is about Mr. Trump that most Americans are missing and leaves us embarrassed for our country at the end of each evening. Is it the absurd political theater that Mr. Trump provides? Is it the political incorrectness?  Is it that he was untainted by Washington’s ways? Is it his purported business acumen?

As a moderate Democrat, I will admit I was entertained by the insults and name calling Mr. Trump leveled at the other Republican candidates. Like most, I didn’t see any way he could be nominated. And after he was nominated, I didn’t see any way he could be elected.  Of course, like a lot of people I was very much wrong.

But I’m wondering if after two years of constant turmoil and not getting much accomplished perhaps even Republicans have had enough. I think possibly some but probably not very many.  My guess is, however, that most independents who voted for Mr. Trump in 2016 will not do so again. Words, demeanor, grace, and yes results matter even if Mr. Trump is pursuing policies you agree with.

If Mr. Trump showed up my door this evening I’m not sure I would invite him in and show him the respect his office should demand. That is because I’m not sure he respects the office himself. He certainly shows no respect to those who disagree with him.  And I do mean everyone and not just opposing politicians.  Just ask the Gold Star father. Rather, his opposition is considered unpatriotic and presidential harassers.

I have lived happily through many presidents from both parties. You could question their policies but never their good intentions, respect for the office and all Americans, and their wish to bring us together.  I don’t think you can say that about this president. He doesn’t seem to want to be the president for all Americans.