George Washington disliked political parties. In his farewell presidential address, he warned that a political party “serves always to distract the public councils and enfeeble the public …
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George Washington disliked political parties. In his farewell presidential address, he warned that a political party “serves always to distract the public councils and enfeeble the public administration. It agitates the community with ill-founded jealousies and false alarms, kindles the animosity of one part against another, foments occasionally riot and insurrection.”
When I recently read these words, I was overcome with an eerie feeling. It was like he was speaking to us from the grave. How could he possibly have been so prescient?
Many people today agree with Washington. Political parties are damaging our democracy. As a registered Republican, I am especially disappointed with the GOP, although there are plenty of reasons to be disillusioned with both major parties.
The GOP has become adept at “agitating the community with ill-founded jealousies and false alarms.” Party leaders are skillful purveyors of anti-science and anti-government misinformation with an imperious resistance to the facts. Recent examples include the pandemic, the Rock Springs BLM RMP and the impact of global warming on future energy development. Misinformation about these and other issues has made problem solving extremely difficult.
Facts matter! Ideally, our elected officials should look at facts first when making policy decisions. The best elected officials are those who are open minded about solving complex government problems. Seldom is there an easy answer. Like it or not, government is required for our survival. Our future depends on fair and balanced decision making.
In recent years, the GOP here has fractured into two factions: the Wyoming Freedom Caucus and the Wyoming Caucus. The Wyoming Freedom Caucus is by far the more extreme. Their positions are especially anti-government. That mentality is reflected in their frequent efforts to cut important state and local budgets and to reject federal funding for a variety of programs. The anti-government values vociferated by extremists within the GOP discourage objective analysis and “enfeeble the public administration.”
Washington was also correct about political parties “fomenting occasional riots and insurrection.” As the world watched on Jan. 6, 2021, the national leader of the GOP tried to overturn the presidential election results. When the attempt failed, party supporters minimized the significance of the event. Amazingly, many cult-like followers of the party ignored and continue to ignore what they saw on television and was later confirmed by official reports. Some even blame this attempted subversion of democracy on the Democrats and chastise the Department of Justice for efforts to prosecute. Washington would be appalled with the “animosity of one part against another.”
Today, we have political parties that epitomize Washington’s concerns. GOP leaders, with strong authoritarian tendencies, insist party members adhere to party values. In an attempt to compel conformity, they resort to name calling, impose purity tests and censor elected officials who don’t comply. Blind allegiance to party doctrine is demanded. Independent thinking is criticized. To be a bona fide member of the party, you must speak and think fluently in the language of the GOP.
To make matters worse, extremists within the Wyoming GOP want to suppress your right to vote. During the 2023 legislative session, they passed legislation to prohibit the practice of crossover voting, barring voters from changing party affiliation after the candidate filing period begins, in other words, before you even know which candidates are running and their positions on the issues. The bill was intended to limit the moderating influence of crossover voters in the vitally important taxpayer-funded August primary. The likely result will be that more extreme GOP candidates will win the primary and cruise to victory in November. This is especially concerning because the Wyoming Freedom Caucus is very close to winning a majority in the Legislature.
In recent years, political divisiveness and election-law reform have tilted the balance between politics and democracy heavily toward politics. Washington would find this very alarming. Because our political parties are out of control, it is up to the voters to preserve democracy. To do so, we must exercise our right to freedom of thought.
That essence of democracy is best expressed in the voting booth. Unfortunately, the Wyoming GOP has made that difficult, so EVERYONE needs to register as a Republican by May 15 (and re-register if you didn’t vote in the last election). If you fail to do so, you will be excluded from having a meaningful vote in the GOP-dominated August primary.
This is a critical time for democracy in our state and nation. Hopefully, the Wyoming spirit of rugged individualism will exhort voters to think for themselves.
Earl DeGroot is a retired management consultant from Cheyenne. He holds master’s degrees in public administration and natural resource management.
WyoFile is an independent nonprofit news organization focused on Wyoming people, places and policy.