The Stupid Party Gets Competition

Who was it that first labelled the Republicans “The Stupid Party”?  I’ve often shared the sentiment.  A little discipline would go a long way toward implementing its policy preferences, which, before Trump hijacked the party and turned it into his own little personality cult, I largely shared. It seems there is always a splinter faction determined to “stand on principle” that is just large enough and stupid enough to prevent anything from getting done. For them, half a loaf is totally unacceptable – far better to starve.  If you don’t believe me, ask Kevin McCarthy in his retirement.  It’s gotten so bad that the Democrats decided to help current Speaker Mike Johnson keep his job, just so the House can get some work done this year.  Johnson is a dedicated Trumpist whom they normally wouldn’t give the time of day.  When it’s that bad, you know it’s bad.

But the Democrats of late seem determined to give the Republicans competition for the title.  The first piece of evidence is that they are going to renominate Joe Biden for President.  Even a substantial majority of Democrats don’t want him to run again, but hey, they shrug, whaddaya gonna do?  When the party can’t find someone to replace Biden, of all people, that’s stupid.  The latest piece of evidence is the attempt to triangulate between Israel, Palestinian-Americans, and the brain-dead supporters of Hamas playing “intifada camp” on college campuses this spring.  This one should be crystal-clear and simple:  Hamas started it, Israel is going to finish it, and we’re going to help them.  Anything else is morally and politically bankrupt.  The Democrats have chosen bankruptcy on this as well as a number of other issues.  Now that’s a special kind of stupid.

This is an avoidable race to the bottom.  That both parties have chosen to participate leaves one wishing for an alternative.  Doesn’t have to be perfect, just not quite so blindingly, obviously, thoroughly stupid.

And speaking of which….

The Republicans in the Tennessee legislature have once again snatched defeat from the jaws of victory by turning down Governor Lee’s bill to reform education.  It’s surprising to see our supposedly conservative legislators siding with the enemies of competition and the far-left National Education Association (so-called, but actually a teachers’ union) and the American Federation of Teachers.  The evidence is in, and has been for some time:  Charter schools and vouchers are not magic bullets guaranteed to cure our educational ills, but they are better than sticking with the government-monopoly alternative.  Even the deep-blue city of Nashville has figured that out.  Perhaps Gov. Lee will do what Gov. Reynolds in Iowa did – recruit and vigorously support reform-minded Republican challengers to recalcitrant legislators.  That did the trick in Iowa.

UMC declares Biblical bankruptcy

Having grown up in the United Methodist Church, it pains me to say that it has declared itself something other than a Christian church, like so many other mainline churches have already done.  Its General Conference, meeting for the first time since 2019, voted overwhelmingly to accept LGBTQ clergy and allow same-sex marriages.  The vote was overwhelming because thousands of churches and millions of members who disagree with those positions gave up and left years ago, with the de facto split being formalized last year.  While I have no doubt the people at the Conference are good folks and believe in their hearts that they have done the right thing, it’s hard to understand how they square it with Biblical teaching.  Protestantism affirms the centrality and inerrancy of the Bible in all matters (although there is a healthy argument over how literally its words are to be taken, how much interpretation is required to be a truly faithful follower of Christ), but this is clearly not just unbiblical but antibiblical.  To be honest about its conversion, the United Methodist Church should change its name to The Methodist Progressive Social Justice Society or some such.  Whatever it is now, it is on the path to irrelevance as its buildings empty in response to the spiritual emptiness of its teaching.  Not all stupidity is mean and low; sometimes, it’s very well-meaning.

• Kenneth D. Gough © 2024