Where’s the Balance?
July was a busy month for me; lots of travel and family events. But now it already seems like summer is winding down, work routines are kicking in, and political campaigns are ramping up. Dire threats are hurled from either side of our great political divide, but nothing frightens me more than this. We have elected an autocratic President with no opposing force in Congress to keep him in check.
Politicians and even parties come and go. The one thing America has going for it is a Constitution specifically set up to prevent any one person or group from gaining too much power, by pitting each branch against the others. The idea came from Montesquieu and we call it the balance of power.
In my lifetime, which is fairly long, I have never seen the balance of power more threatened than it is today. But the up-coming election (if it doesn’t get rigged by the Russians) is our opportunity to restore that balance. Traditionally, in the first mid-term election of any administration the American people tend to vote against the party of the new President. Why is that? Because, in our diverse and divided nation, the side that loses the presidency is motivated to get out and vote to make sure that at least they have a voice in Congress. The result is the balance of power.
Let’s make that work in November.
