What if?

 

After posting how much I enjoyed Nina Totenberg’s memoir, Dinners with Ruth, I was taken back a bit to read a critical review that maintained Totenberg should have put her obligations as a journalist above her friendship with Ruth Bader Ginsburg. In other words, as a reporter assigned to the Supreme Court, she should have reported on RBG’s obviously failing health. Instead, she shielded RBG, fed her the bouillabaisse she loved (one of the few things her failing body would tolerate), and turned a blind eye to justice. There’s certainly a lot of merit to that argument. I am among the many who think, dedicated as she was, RBG should have stepped down when Obama suggested it, so that he could appoint a liberal justice. No one knows for sure how the court would have played out—there would still be the sudden death of Justice Scalia and the suspicious sudden retirement of Justice Kennedy (we may never know that full story)—but we would have had one less extremist conservative on the court.

When a friend supported the criticism of Totenberg, I countered with the idea that life is a series of “What if?” moments. If Comey hadn’t brought up those emails at the last minute, Hilary probably would have won in 2016, and we would have been spared the tragedies and depravity of four years of trump. But Comey thought he was doing his job. And if McConnell had followed precedent, Merrick Garland would be on the court—we can’t excuse McConnell on the grounds he was doing his job. He knew better but was more interested in using his enormous power to the betterment of his party and the detriment of his country.

I’m not being fatalistic when I say I accept the uncertainty about life, the fact the “ought” doesn’t win. I think things happen the way they were meant to happen, but I also believe that karma will out. Perhaps it’s my faith as a member of a mainstream Protestant church—I will not ever try to give you an evangelistic argument that God is testing us, because I don’t believe in a cruel God. But I do believe that faith gives us strength when the “what if” moment goes awry. And, like Joe Biden, I believe in America and democracy and right now, I’m hopeful the pendulum is swinging back from an extreme edge.

That said, I am baffled by much of what is going on in this country. “The former guy” while not indicted has been clearly exposed as a criminal on several fronts, from tax fraud to tampering with elections to stealing national security documents. Governors Abbott and DeSantis have shown themselves to be heartless despots who use innocent and helpless people as political pawns and then abandon them. Congresspersons Boebbert and Marjorie Taylor Greene spout conspiracy theories, defend an extreme “Christian” nation, and are beyond comprehension. Herschel Walker produces word salad every time he opens his mouth. No sense even talking about poor, befuddled Louie Gohmert. They are willing pawns of people like trump, and what’s scary is that they promote his possible run in 2024. Why are these people anywhere near political power in this country?

Columnist Leonard Pitts, Jr., offers a solid—and familiar—theory in an essay titled, “We believe Herschel Walker.” Contending Walker has shown us clearly who he is, Pitts suggests that his popularity is part of America’s historic tendency to equate ignorance with authenticity. We distrust leaders who seem “too smart.” Politicians spend a lot of time in shirtsleeves, eating hot dogs they don’t want, and saying things they clearly don’t believe, just to be one of the regular people. Instead, Pitts says, we should want our leaders to be a bit better, a bit smarter than we are. Not arrogant, but with knowledge and understanding of policy and international law.

On the positive side, President Biden has quietly been achieving a better life for most American workers—the infrastructure package, relief from the covid pandemic, improved health care for veterans, averting a catastrophic railroad strike, restoring our international standing, working to control climate change and save our environment, reduced unemployment. How would Boebbert, Greene, Walker, and Gohmert handle these issues? Do we want to give the indecisive and weak Kevin McCarthy power over the House? Why did things go south under trump? Don’t we need educated men and women, with some grasp of government, to lead us in these times?

I know I’m prejudiced. I see life—and politics—through a blue lens these days. But there are so many good candidates for Senate seats and governorships, good people running for the House to free us from all the conspiracy theorists. Can’t we have a little common sense?

What if we voted for the good of all the people rather than those who would force their will on us? What if we restored a unified America, a Congress that worked across the aisle? What if we elected people who, like Biden, want to make life better for Americans, rather than those who would wipe out a century of progress?

Rant over.