The Years Ahead: Best Case Scenario

 #325:  A Brighter Future

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Mike Lofgren, at Bill Moyers' On Democracy blog, thinks the US Constitution needs major repair work, and despairs at the likelihood of achieving the necessary transformation.

Ah, but let's not forget our history.  As Lofgren notes, the Gilded Age of the late 19th Century was followed by the Progressive Era.  So, here's a brief description of how a similar makeover may already be upon us.

First, the bill of particulars:

1.  Because of the Electoral College and the Senate Filibuster, ours is not a democracy, but rather a minoritarian oligarchy. 

2.  Congress is cowardly, failing to impeach, or at least invoke the 25th Amendment.  Treason, in the form of an insurrection, comes and goes, yet nothing is done.

3.  The Executive branch is out of control, conducting minor wars with virtually no oversight.

4.  Justice is applied selectively, with massive self-dealing by those at the top of the political food chain, while the little guy meets with a steady erosion of civil rights.

Now for that more hopeful chronology:

2021: By November, Democrats in Congress pass another popular big ticket bill: this time, Infrastructure.

2022: The true extent of former president Trump's malfeasance emerges.  Not only the January 6th insurrection, but the long parade of bad faith.

2023: Thanks to their two massive spending bills, the economy picks up, and the mid-term elections give Democrats the votes to significantly adjust the Senate Filibuster.

2024: Republicans are unable to resist Trump's allure.  The party has shed all pretense to be anything but a Trump vehicle.  Instead of his 31.00% of potential voters in 2020, and his 25.60% in 2016, Trump barely hits 22%, losing decisively to the Biden/Harris steamroller (Romney was at 25.90 in 2012, McCain at 27.64% in '08, Bush 28.70 in '04 and 24.50 in 2000).

2025: By now, Democrats are contending with a defeated, hollowed-out opposition that is unable to stop passage of long overdue government reform.  A new progressive era begins.