Should We Abolish Parties

For John, BLUF:  It is your idea.  Nothing to see here; just move along.

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On the City Life show Producer John McDonough likes to say we should not elect people of Parties to to go to Washington but we should just elect Americans.  I get his point.  Partisanship does get in the way of governance.  Frankly, that is the way the founders designed it.  They were against "parties" but they recognized that there were differences of opinion.

We do elect "Americans" to go to Washington for us.  While I disagree with with a lot of what Senators Warren and Markey are pushing, I do think they are true Americans.  I believe they want to make America better.  I just think some of their ideas are a little wacky.

And that is why there are parties. Ms Warren and Mr Markey tend to have ideas closer to those of Senator Bernie Sanders than to Senators Ted Cruz or Marco Rubio or Kelly Ayotte.

Parties are just a way of keeping log rolling organized.

Image there are no parties and that you are one of the two Senators from the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and you think that improving the intersection of I-95 and I-93 would be a good idea, but you need Federal funding to make it happen, say $1.2 Billion.  First you get together with your fellow Massachusetts Senator, who is from down in Scituate and doesn't really care about traffic problems North of Boston.  On the other hand, this person has a supporter who wants to see the Boston Waterfront further developed and wants to see, as part of that, a renovation of the US Coast Guard Station and surrounding area, for $750 million only.  You agree to support each other and then each of you go out to collect 49 more votes in support of the two projects.  More if you anticipate a filibuster from those West Coast Senators who think the day of the auto is over.

On the other hand, if you have a "Party" you can go up to Harry Reid and say that Massachusetts would like these two projects and he will put it in his blender and make it happen, or tell you the votes are just not there.  Now you have time for Committee Hearings, greeting visitors from home and fundraising.

To paraphrase the Instapundit, parties, like Government is just another word for the things we choose to do together.

I don't think abolition of Parties is in our near political future.

Regards  —  Cliff