We are a two party system and suddenly we need one of those parties to stop playing the Dormouse and come for air. Edward Brooks, John Lindsey, Nelson Rockefeller, Jacob Javitts, do we ever need them or their likes. Now is almost too late. Wasn’t it the White Rabbit whose refrain was, “What to do? What to do?” Well I’m gonna tell ya.
GOP in action
To save the two party system and the democracy that has held forth with it, we may need a third party but I’m not sure. What we need is a pow-wow. In the ’60’s when the Rockefeller and Goldwater factions made the Cheney v. Trump factions look like children playing war with plastic swords, that’s exactly what the Republicans did. It was held at a neutral site, the home of the respected by everyone journalist and author Joseph Alsop, a Republican. He issued an invitation to the heavy-weights on both sides. It took hours and gallons before it was settled, hours of time and gallons of hooch. Unification, if a bit unsteady, was achieved.
Is it time to vote yet?
Here is a different spin on that; it is one-sided. Be there such a thing left as moderate or centrist Republicans, one of them needs to find a house a la Alsop. To this house would be invited, the standing normal Republicans of the day. First we need to curry-comb the lists of the scions of the GOP when the “G” truly stood for grand. The Rockefellers, the Eisenhowers, the Cabots, the Lodges, the Brooks’, Javitts, Lindsey’s, the Elder Cheney, the younger Nixons, McCains, and Bushs, the Romneys and more. A large house will be needed.
a house like this one (foto credit Mls system Washington, DC)
These people then will take a page out of the Parliamentary system of government and form a block. They will have to decide whether to run as Republicans or form a new party. Either way they must raise a ton of money and create a presidential and Congressional campaign committee and strategy. Then candidates will be run against the Cachew nuts being run by the Trump and worse faction of the party. Some will win, some won’t. Likely what will happen is that initially the Republicans will lose seats and the Dems will pick up some. Then between the Congressional and Presidential elections the sane folks will hold another meeting. This time they will invite the leadership of the peanut farm calling itself the Republican party. Now the moderates will have a hand to play. They say we are willing to compromise but you must come to your senses or face losing the presidency. And by the way, we are ready, willing, and able to do this again so come to the meeting with your big boy and girl shoes on, grab a glass of something hi-proof, and let’s heel the divide rather than face a continuing split. One can surmise from history that unless a compromise is made the looney-tunes will take their duck from the tub and form a third party. History will also tell us that in terms of clout that third party will be relegated to the dust bin of history, a chapter in a political history book, and a slew of footnotes.
Simple no? “tis at least from my perspective.
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The sooth-saying BIll Gralnick, a democrat who had a real fondness for mainstream Republicans, offers this for real, not tongue in cheek. We’re in too much danger for tongue in cheek. He does care to remind you though that for lighter fair dip into your penny bank and order up, “The War of the Itchy Balls and Others Tales From Brooklyn” and be on the look out this summer for, “George Washington Didn’t Sleep Here.”
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