How Republicans Multiply Threats to Democracy
James A. George
Naitonal Politics Examiner
Independent News
I am relaunching my column to appeal to loyal Americans with intellect and conscience. Observe that since the election year 2016 and before, the Republican Party developed a strategy to protect the wealthy by recruiting support from an unlikely bastion of uneducated, rural, and isolated enclaves of white evangelicals. Republican elites knew they didn't have near the numbers to win elections because the wealthy represent only ten percent of the population.
Therefore, they looked at the demographics, decided how to exploit fear and ignorance, and aligned that with a slogan, "Make America Great Again."
The slogan begs the question, when did America stop being great? What is the Republican Party's platform for greatness?
I pondered that question and wrote a book from which here is the preface.
This book is the third in a series that assists American voters in improving presidential candidates' and elected officials' selection. Following the publication of How to Select an American President by James A. George with James A. Rodger © 2017 Archway Publishing, we hope that readers will have considered how to evaluate presidential candidate resumes.
Vetting begins when political parties validate candidate resumes and qualifications by their standards. It concludes with individual voters performing their inspection of candidate resumes. If you voters have not adequately vetted the candidates, then it matters not what they have to say because they may lack competence, capacity, and character to deliver.
Supporting the process is The free-press media that explore and publish candidates' words and deeds support the process. We know that most American voters have done little to improve their ability to make better choices. That factor of neglect undermines the democratic republic. How about you?
One conservative said about the pursuit of Constitutional freedom and liberty, "All of that is hyperbole." He meant "claims not meant to be taken literally." That person is extremely wealthy and earned most of it from contracting with the U.S. Department of Defense. It is ironic and one of many instances of how Republicans have morphed from being patriotic to authoritarian. As an author, I don't enjoy taking political sides. I believe having viable political parties representing different approaches to managing a pluralistic democratic republic is essential. That doesn't preclude my having opinions.
When I observe a political party actively seeking to suppress voters, that draws a line between right and wrong. Also, when I watch the President of the United States lying incessantly before the citizens, I report that as a violation of the law that prohibits federal government members from doing that.
"Making false statements (18 U.S.C. § 1001) is the common name for the United States federal crime laid out in Section 1001 of Title 18 of the United States Code, which generally prohibits knowingly and willfully making false or fraudulent statements, or concealing information, in 'any matter within the jurisdiction of the federal government of the United States." 2 The evidence persists among many states in which Republicans seek to suppress voter participation that is truly undemocratic.
"Republicans Have a Secret Weapon in the Midterms: Voter Suppression: After losing in 2012, the G.O.P. enacted the harshest limits on voting since Jim Crow. It could make the difference this year from Florida to North Dakota."
Only one in seven eligible voters makes it to the polls because they say they are too busy working or can't find the time. A national voter holiday might be the answer to increase participation. In another book, published recently, Regenerating America with Sustainable Economics by James A. George and James A. Rodger © 2017 Archway Publishing, we discussed the limitations of capitalism. We challenged that capitalists are not patriotic in that their allegiance to pursuing profit is greater than the pursuit of democratic ideals.
We proposed developing an alternative economic model that better suits democratic governments. The relationship between the government and the economy is symbiotic. The challenge is to motivate our large audience to attend to their democracy, and that begins with attracting academic professors in political science and history to engage in the topics. The public requires mass education about citizens' roles and responsibilities in democratic self-governance. That entails more than voting and demands set asides in time and devotion to engaging local, State, and federal governments with active participation.
An argument can be made that voters should "use it or lose it," that is, if you miss voting without good reason, you must reapply. Or, perhaps, there should be a standard for voting akin to immigrants and new citizens having to pass a citizenship test. It would be like requiring a lousy driver to retake a driver's examination after an accident. Of course, no one would like that direction.
The trend is the opposite, as the State of Florida is now allowing former felons to vote.5 The burden is on voters to improve the American political system. If you like the outcome of Election 2016, then you probably believe that conditions are copasetic. If you think that political parties and their leadership need retooling, this book is for you. When candidates (and incumbents) are unqualified, they can damage the nation. Political parties and the media help voters verify and validate candidates' qualifications and credentials. The next step is to consider what candidates must say in describing their priorities and management approach. Describing their management approach is next because associated strengths and deficiencies determine the American nation's capacity and degree of leadership performance.
In the book Smart Data, Enterprise Performance Optimization Strategy by James A. George and James A. Rodger © 2010, Wiley Publishing6, Dr. Rodger and I introduced a better approach for managing massively complex enterprises. It was based on experience serving clients in commercial enterprises and the U.S. Department of Defense and Health and Human Services. While the D.O.D. embraced some ideas, we found it challenging to get traction with the U.S. government because leaders in the Executive and Legislative branches are too transient. There is little incentive in the bureaucracy to pursue change and improvement. Some characterize these conditions as systemic failures.
Today, the American nation is on the shaky ground resulting from a lack of standards and flawed processes. The trend is more precarious as the scope and scale of problems and opportunities increase, demanding higher capabilities and competence. Without you, the citizen-voters, acting to improve each generation, the population degrades against advancing demands for higher competence. Matters get much worse, as evidenced by today's situation. Books in this series help voters step into the future beyond current difficulties. One can become so embroiled in the present that the end is cheated from improvement.
Action in addressing your deficiencies as voters today will pay off for future generations. It is fair to ask about the indications that substantiate this declaration. Witness now that foreign governments and hostile entities attempted to subvert the fair election process. According to C.I.A. and F.B.I. reports, Russia and WikiLeaks acted in concert to influence the election with false news, propaganda, and manipulation. Candidate Donald Trump encouraged more of this in his speeches. To some, that makes him a collaborator, a severe and impeachable charge. While writing the first draft, there were calls for a new election. There were appeals to the Electoral College not to seat Donald Trump. Some considered presenting a case to the Supreme Court appealing for a recent election. The outcome was uncertain, and then it was not.
An "Emolument Clause" suit was pending against President Trump that alleged a conflict of interest and Constitutional violation. There are sexual assault accusations. Trump's executive order governing immigration was put on hold by the court for further legal review. Other of his executive actions are being contested as to their legality. A case against Trump University for fraud was settled out of court. The Trump "charitable" non-profit organization was decertified, and the board members, including the Trump children and son-in-law, are facing prosecution for fraud and misuse of funds. President Trump's characterizing a court justice as a "so-called judge" may result in his being censored if he persists. These instances could result in Trump's impeachment making his presidency tenuous. Impeachment actions depend on Congress, and a Republican-led, politically aligned government has no appetite for rocking the buoyant economic boat. The results of the Mid-term Congressional election 2018 could initiate a change in direction for Congress. A Special Prosecutor's report to Congress might alter the situation, but only if the evidence impeccably ironclad incriminates the incumbent.
Beyond the Presidential Candidate's Resume In my past books, I partnered with a friend and cohort, Dr. James A. Rodger, whose political views are right of mine. Our work is intended to have bipartisan appeal and value. Reflecting on the resume evaluation process, Dr. Rodger contemplated this. "It occurred to me that a potential model may be in the form of a two-by-two matrix. The first book (How to Select an American President) provides a 'probability' that a candidate will score high on the prescribed criteria and be highly eligible for the office. Perhaps the other factor or variable may be 'environmental impact.' For example, political correctness may have swung too ultra-left. The average American life expectancy had fallen under Obamacare. More people than ever were on food stamps. E.P.A. rules had put union coal workers (traditionally Democrat voting) out of work. Jobs were leaving the U.S. via bad trade agreements. Thus the rust belt rose and clamored for change. The country has become urban versus rural. Left coast and liberal east coast versus the hinterland."
There is much to consider from Dr. Rodger's statement: 1. How to Select an American President was about evaluating resumes to determine eligibility and desirability based on certifiable and verifiable qualifications and credentials. 2. The "How to" book was not intended to predict a winner.
It is to help voters postulate excellent candidates based on their essential skills, knowledge, experience, proficiency, and temperament. 3. Whether a candidate wins an election or not has to do with that for which they stand. Therefore, this book is about a presidential candidate's manifesto. 4. That is where the notion of "environmental impact" comes into play.
Citizens might be able to make some cause-and-effect determinations. They may be able to assess specific performance metrics by looking back at a former president's incumbency. 5. Furthermore, politicians and their parties may improve their understanding of crafting better messages by conducting a postmortem. This new book, A President's Manifesto © 2019 All Rights Reserved, is about what content should be included in a political party's platform. What content should be included in a presidential candidate's manifesto?
What is the relationship between manifestos and media? Dr. Rodger introduced the idea of metrics and measures and the relationship between content and relevance to voters. That, too, must be thoroughly researched. Voters need to focus on improving the process and not be distracted by ideological noise in the system. The U.S. Constitution is our constant guide. For this effort, I am writing it independently and soliciting guidance from academic friends. State of the Union I had an epiphany after writing the first draft of this book. It goes back to an earlier book, Smart Data, Enterprise Performance Optimization Strategy, (c) 2010 Wiley Publishing. In that work, Dr. Rodger and I advocated the creation of a "U.S. President's Performance Management Dashboard." The dashboard would provide performance metrics aggregated from all of the programs and service initiatives under the Departments and Agencies of government such that the President and Congress can see metrics at any level they desire. It is absurd that the federal government doesn't have such a thing already, but it doesn't. If it did, the State of the Union would be readily available for all to see at any time (in real-time).
The epiphany is that the President's State of the Union report is probably not always delivered at the right time. The U.S. Constitution is casual about it. "The formal basis for the State of the Union Address is from the U.S. Constitution: The President "shall from time to time give to the Congress Information of the State of the Union, and recommend to their Consideration such measures as he shall judge necessary and expedient." Article II, Section 3, Clause 1. Historically, it has been an annual message of a sort. Think about it. A new President arrives in January. Would it not have been helpful to have a State of the Union report from a credible system delivered, say in the prior October, before the national election? That way, voters can evaluate past performance and understand the stepping stone to the next administration. The U.S. Federal government fiscal year is from October to September. The next government could be a continued incumbency for a second term or a new presidency. The next incumbent would inherit the dashboard and metrics to assume control to produce new metrics. Having a standard system and approach would ensure continuity in accountability. That does not mean that the dashboard would not change. The contents would reflect the actions of the Executive branch and Congress in changing and amending legislation, funding, and schedules. Otherwise, it must be dynamic and accountable for real-time results. A Presidential Dashboard, as envisioned, is a management tool for which the results are the U.S. Government Performance that should be available and accessible by Congress and the citizens with some caveats particular to national security.
Unlike rear-view-mirror-facing government audits, an executive management system must have planning and controls, including simulation and predictive performance capabilities. Embracing the idea that the federal government is an automated regulatory environment is a context for systems engineering. You should know that the author's style is to share the research and discovery journey that ultimately leads to suggested solutions and actions. Reading party platforms and candidate manifestos as they are today is not reader-friendly. That is part of the problem. Some of the information included are long quotations that could be put into an appendix. Hiding that information would preclude your experience. What makes it tricky? Each party decides priorities and topics that are not reconciled and factually substantiated with citizens' needs and wants. Much of the contents are philosophical and debatable. The conclusion is that the government remains off course from addressing essential services and requirements that are best expressed as outcomes.
