The politicians and pundits have convinced themselves and America that the biggest issue of the 2012 elections should be the economy. And so it has been! How can one argue with that? After all, what the hell else could it be?
Well, they’ve been wrong all this time. The economy should not have been the Big Issue, because there is a more fundamental root cause for our economic condition: Political Gridlock. Gridlock – and how to end it - should have been the Big Issue all along. You see, Gridlock has been the guarantor of enormous economic uncertainty. Uncertainty at such high levels, as any economist will tell you, stops recovery dead in its tracks.
And so, gridlock in Washington DC, caused equally by farther Right and farther Left interests, is the reason why we have found no sensible, strategic approaches to balancing our federal budget and solving our debt crisis. It is the reason why unemployment remains so high; why industry hoards its cash rather than investing trillions in new plants, new equipment and more and better jobs. It’s why the middle class has been hit so hard; why we see class warfare from both presidential candidates; why America is not leading the world out of recession, and why America approaches a fiscal cliff early in 2013, as Washington fails to gain mandatory consensus in dealing with our budget and debt crises.
Senate Majority Leader Reid (D) and Minority Leader McConnell (R); House Majority Leader Kantor (R) and Minority Leader Pelosi (D), their like-minded followers on the farther Right and farther Left quadrants of the political spectrum - and others who put preservation of this dysfunctional status quo above the common good – are the root cause of America’ economic troubles. The only true litmus test for true leadership and good governance must be a willingness to collaborate. Sensible, centered Americans understand that to achieve truly great things, people and groups must come together, bound by a greater purpose and vision, and unbound from the evils of self-interest.
Scott Brown’s record in Washington DC is one of independent thinking. He’s a proven collaborator. He will continue to bring Republicans and Democrats together to support good legislation that moves our country forward. He personifies good governance perhaps more than any other politician in Washington today. His opponent has taken up the gauntlet of the farther Left. Representing the farther Left, or the farther Right, exacerbates the very problem that we must overcome. The only litmus test for good governance should be bipartisan instinct. That’s simply not Elizabeth Warren's platform.
We must not lose the strong Centrist voice of Senator Scott Brown. His voice needs to be heard, perhaps more loudly and courageously than any other voice in America. All other single issues pale in comparison to the dire need in Washington DC to support and advance bipartisan approaches to solving our most pressing issues. Massachusetts voters who see themselves as somewhat Left of Center or somewhat Right of Center must do the right thing and vote for Scott Brown – regardless of party affiliation.
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