George Polycranos

Port Matilda

Despite looming emergencies such as two wars and a possible government shutdown, the GOP continues to prove itself incapable of, if not totally disinterested in, governing.

The U.S. House of Representatives was rendered speaker-less and unable to conduct the people’s business for 22 days because a Republican congressman from Florida instigated the ouster of a Republican Speaker for the “unforgivable sin” of working with Democrats to avoid a government shutdown.

Actual governing is hard work. It is not glamorous or sexy. It requires respectful, intelligent dialog, cooperation, integrity, good will and yes, even compromise. Effective government seeks to meet the needs of all Americans regardless of party affiliation.

Unfortunately, many Republicans have abandoned these democratic values for authoritarianism. They have turned governing into a never ending battle in which compromise is a dirty word and all that matters is getting your way by any means necessary. Instead of legislating, these Republicans prefer to focus on creating inflammatory sound bites to generate campaign donations and prevent MAGA backlash.

The election of Mike Johnson as Speaker exemplifies Republican contempt for democracy. Johnson was a principal architect of Trump’s effort to overturn the 2020 election. He opposes women’s reproductive freedom; believes that easy access to guns does not contribute to mass shootings; vilifies LGBTQ Americans; and rejects America’s Constitutional separation of church and state.