Left, Right, or Center?

We are a democracy, and every person’s opinions and desires county equally.  Most Americans are smart enough to realize that Democracy means COMPROMISE, and COMPROMISE means MEETING IN THE MIDDLE.  No one gets everything they want, but no one walks away empty-handed, either.

Meeting in the middle, of course, means moving toward the CENTER, NOT away from it.

By its very definition, the CENTER represents the median opinion of all Americans, and the goal of both parties should be to get as close as possible to the center. Political parties should NOT be trying to move away from the center.  The farther to one side a party moves, the more it alienates half the population and further divides our country.

Of course, moving to the center will upset the radicals and bigots in both parties. But these radicals and bigots, while vocal and active, DO NOT REPRESENT WHAT THE AMERICAN PEOPLE WANT.  Just look at our recent elections. Almost HALF of all eligible votes DID NOT VOTE.  Why?  Because they did not identify with or agree with EITHER party’s positions.  They did not feel that either party represented THEIR wants and needs.

If you cannot see that compromise is necessary in a democracy, you are part of the problem.  If you feel so strongly about a position that you do not want to bend, it is up to you to convince the other side that you are right and to bring them over to your side.  That is Democracy.  On the other hand, forcing the other side to accept your position without compromise simply because you hold a slight majority is an insult to the spirit of democracy, divides our country, and fuels hate and bigotry.

In the past 10 or 15 years, BOTH political parties have moved AWAY from the center.  The have stopped serving the American People and have instead divided the American People. This is why both Congress and the Presidents have had such low approval ratings.  Republicans such as Paul Ryan, Ted Cruz, and Mitch McConnell have pulled the Republican Party far to the right.  Democrats such as Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren are actively advocating moving even farther to the left.  As a result, both parties are just shells of their former selves.  They have no clear vision because they are trying to please radical splinter groups instead of serving the American People.

Neither party realizes that they are doing exactly the OPPOSITE of what they need to do.  The current leaders of both parties are actively trying to move each party even farther from the center, and these leaders need to be voted out of office ASAP because they do NOT represent the AMERICAN PEOPLE.

It is a sign of FAILURE when ANY president or political leader is HATED by the other side.  Our most successful presidents, such as Teddy Roosevelt, FDR, Ike, JFK, and Reagan, were admired and respected by BOTH sides, and that is why they were successful.  Even Bill Clinton was able to get legislation passed and balance the budget because he was more centrist than any president who has followed him.

Any hope of ending this political divide rests on at least one party recognizing the need to move toward the CENTER and adapting its platform to do so.  I have always been a republican, but my allegiance will be with whatever party starts acting to serve ALL OF THE PEOPLE.  Right now, neither party is deserving of anybody’s vote.

Ironically, today President Trump showed Congress how it is supposed to be done!  He met with the leadership from BOTH parties this morning, listened to what each of them offered, and supported the one proposed by the Democrats, as their plan would meet the immediate deadlines and offered compromises that both sides should be able to live with.

Trump's Disgraceful Dissolution of DACA

Once again, the failing Trump Administration added a new level of hypocrisy to an already scandal-ridden legacy by dissolving the DACA program, citing Constitutional Grounds just days after pardoning Sheriff Arpaio’s criminal contempt of court conviction for ongoing Constitutional Violations.

The DACA program itself, created by President Obama, was arguably a stretch of his executive powers.  With the limited resources available to law enforcement, any cop will tell you that it is impossible to prosecute every crime committed. Instead, they use their discretion when deciding whether to prosecute a crime.  Have you ever been pulled over for a traffic violation and just been given a warning?

But, to put into place a formal program to intentionally ignore an entire class of acts, including implementing a formal application process that even includes paying a $495 registration fee, goes beyond what any reasonable person would describe as prosecutorial discretion. In fact, President Obama himself described the action as a temporary fix to an emergency issue until Congress could address the issue.

So, of course, as President, Trump had every right to take rescind Obama’s action and dissolve the program. He could have dissolved it instantaneously rather than give it six months.  He did not even have to give a reason for his action if he did not want to.

However, as we all know, one can do the right thing for the wrong reasons, and here is a perfect example.  Trump claimed that his duties to the Constitution required that he dissolve the program, citing that we are a nation of laws.  This is a very logical, reasonable, and justified explanation, and if it had come from any other President, I could believe it.

But, since almost every action President Trump has taken since becoming President has made a mockery of the Constitution and the Rule of Law, cumulating with the pardon of Sheriff Arpaio less than ten days ago, can anyone really believe that this is the real reason he has dissolved the DACA program?  Really?

The only logical reason for Trump taking this action at this time is to give him leverage over Congress.  He can use this as a way to force Congress to fund his ridiculous wall.  The more cynical among us might even view this as a tactic to further distract Congress, and the country, from the ongoing Russia investigation.

One key insight into his real reason is the timing of his action. The DACA program has been in place for several years, and there was no urgency to take this action right now. Not only did has it not caused problems, it has allowed immigration enforcement agents to concentrate their limited resources on illegal immigrants that had committed crimes and are a danger to our society.  Between Hurricane Harvey’s devastation, the North Korea situation, Congress’ already packed agenda, and the impending Hurricane Irma damage, one would have to be clueless or have an ulterior motive to take such an action now.  So which it is, Mr. President?

If Constitutional concerns were really the issue, President Trump could have taken this action immediately after taking office. But he didn’t.  He waited until this month, when Congress will be dealing with raising the debt ceiling and providing the funding necessary to keep the government operating, including any potential funding of his wall.

Using innocent children as pawns in a political game of cat and mouse is despicable, an abuse of presidential authority, and a disgrace to our country.

When are our other Republican leaders going to stop supporting Trump’s outrageous and un-presidential conduct?   Do they not realize that their silence is just further enabling him?  Do they not realize that there is a right way and a wrong way to get things done?

Republican leaders may think they are protecting the party by not calling out President Trump personally for his unacceptable conduct.  But they are wrong. Their duty is to the Constitution and to the People, and any actions taken that put the Party over the People are short sighted and will only hurt the party in the long term.

Any politician who is defending Trump’s action at this time is equally reprehensible and voters will remember that at the next election.