Great Expectations
In 1988, a man named Gary Hart was the front-runner for the 1988 Democratic Presidential nomination. Until he dropped out. He dropped out because of scandal. Hart’s extramarital affair became the stuff that political scandals are made of. He dropped out and did not become the nominee. That is as it should be.
In 2017, a man by the name of Roy Moore was the Republican nominee in the U.S. Special election for Senator in Alabama. He lost. He likely lost because he was accused of sexual misconduct by several females. That is as it should be.
You see, back then, there were expectations. There were expectations that our politicians — whoever they might be — would conduct themselves in a manner worthy of Political office.
And that belief still exists in the Democratic party. But alas, the era of Great expectations has vanished on the Republican side.
There was a time when the scandals of Herschel Walker, not to mention other Republican politicians, would have easily been salacious enough to force the dropping out of Walker and other Republicans. But not anymore.
This is because the Republican party has lost the expectation game. They have gone from “Great expectations” to “no expectations.” And it matters because it hurts the country. It hurts the voters.And it hurts the political process.
If there are no consequences for virtually anything, this cheapens the Political offices. It says they are not worth anything. Because if they WERE, surely there would be SOME expectations.
And it’s something to speak to the voters about. We need to have some expectations that our candidates will be sane, law-abiding, competent members of society. It’s urgent that we have this. But one party has abdicated all personal responsibility. And because they have let any and all expectations slide, they have forfeited the right to have great expectations of their voters — or any expectations at all.
