Politics of Nullification
“. . . his lips dripping with the words of “interposition” and “nullification. . .”
(Excerpt, Rev. Dr. Martin King Jr, I Have A Dream, August 28, 1963.)
These words of MLK referenced Alabama’s Governor George Wallace. Fast forward to the first inauguration of President Obama. Rev. Dr. Martin King Jr’s words describe aptly what House and Senate GOP leaders have been actively engaged in and encouraging other GOP leaders at State levels to be doing. It began at a January 2009 meeting of GOP leaders and evolved to Sen. Mitch McConnell saying in an interview with the National Journal in November 4, 2010, “The single most important thing we want to achieve is for President Obama to be a one-term president.” Nullification of a President, not once, but now twice.
President Obama has utilized GOP based ideas as an olive branch many times only to have his hand and arm mauled. The first example is the Affordable Care Act that is based solely in a GOP idea, that was tested and worked in a State. The latest example of the GOP leadership’s nullification strategy is the insistence that it is standard practice to not confirm a SCOTUS nominee during an election year. GOP leaders have utilized the systemic soft racism baked into American culture to stir the fear of “other” in their base of voters. These, mostly self proclaimed Evangelical Christian Republican leaders, have utilized this soft racism, to claim that President Obama, who has been elected twice, is the “other” and not a legitimate President of these United States. They know this because he has not governed the way they want him to govern. Thus, they cannot govern with him to help the working class, working poor, and middle class because that would mean he is a legitimate President, and those that elected him are real Americans. That’s the narrative they are pushing. It would mean that President Obama is not polarizing, nor was his election polarizing, but the GOP leadership has spun the election of the first non-white male President as a polarizing event. They will do the same thing if former Sec. State Clinton is elected and more so if Sen. Sanders is elected.
The GOP leadership argue that President Obama has been polarizing. Of course, President Obama is polarizing because he is not a Republican. Of course, President Obama is polarizing because he has most often adopted Republican policy ideas as his own in order to gain their trust and make govern with a co-equal branch of Government only to experience obstructionist politics even when the Democrats had a majority in the Congressional House and Senate. Of course, President Obama is polarizing because he is pragmatic rather than ideologically pure. Of course, President Obama is polarizing because you know, he is the “other”, he is black.
My conjecture is that this otherness, this nullification, is birthed from a fear that white male patriarchy is loosing control of the narrative of America to the “other” that are non-white, or female, or non-Christian, or none. If they loose the power to control the narrative of what American is, and who is welcome to reach for the American dream, then they may also loose power, and the money, that makes for power and speech. This is most evident in the current “nullifier in chief” named Donald Trump, and parroted by Senator Cruz, Senator Rubio, and the rest of the GOP Presidential candidates. It didn’t begin with them, but they are shamelessly participating in the name of winning the White House. It began with angry white male AM radio and cable talkers who are making millions, whether they believe their words or not. It has evolved to include angry white women with a few persons color for balance. Michael Smerconish has a great piece on CNN.com about this.
As Limbaugh acknowledged to Playboy Magazine in 1993, “there is no question that it’s much easier (doing his show) with a clearly established opponent in a position of power, as opposed to someone who is not an opponent.” He emphasized that he had hoped for a Clinton loss because he felt Clinton’s policies would hurt the country. Yet, Limbaugh did admit, “I can sit back in reflection and say that (Clinton’s presidency was) probably a better programming opportunity for me.”
Shortly after the election, he boasted to his television viewers, “We are now the sole voice of sanity, the sole voice of reason. We are the sole voice of opposition on all television. This is the only place you can tune to to get the truth of the opposition of the one-party dictatorial government that now will soon run America.” Click here to read more.
(Brian Rosewood and Michael Smerconish, “Ted Cruz and Donald Trump: Signs of Conservative Media’s Grip on GOP,” Cnn.com. Feb 3, 2016)
The working class, working poor, and middle class of these United States have more in common with each other, no matter their race or religion, than they do with Trump, Cruz, Hannity, Limbaugh, or Ingraham. But these people are making millions off the anger and division. There are similar voices on the left of the dial and in the cyber world, but these are not guiding the political strategy and policy decisions of Democrats, or progressives, or liberals in remotely the same way as the extreme right of the Republican talkers.
It is shameful, but we have long since left behind the ability for shame to work on politicians like it is portrayed in Mr. Smith Goes to Washington. GOP House and Senate Leaders along with those in State Houses and Governors know that Democrats are interested in governing more than obstructing. That is why national GOP leaders are holding out to put their white-style patriarchy leadership back in the White House by any means necessary, most notably, by making it harder for particular segments of our citizens to vote. How else are we to exegete the voter ID laws in places where voter fraud does not exist? Why? Demographics are changing and social attitudes have changed. These changes do not favor the current GOP narrative of who America is or what America stands for. The voter ID laws are why I don’t think a Democratic candidate can be elected President this year, because the GOP through State and County leaders has ensured that it will be too difficult to vote if you are a registered Democrat or Independent. It is a post-modern poll tax. It is nullification of the electorate.
Did I mention that most of the GOP House and Senate leaders consider themselves Evangelical Christians. I guess they ignore or interpret through the lens of narcissism, “love your neighbor as yourself.” The “least of these” are meant to serve, rather than be served, by the institutions of government of our democratic republic. It’s worse that being terminated. You’ve been nullified. Where are the Republican leaders that will call out the behavior of their party, and work to ensure their party evolves rather than devolves into xenophobic robber barons. Classic Republican leaders in the mold of George H. Bush, Bob Dole, Alan Simpson, and others, your party needs your voice and those that continue to think and govern like you did; our Nation needs you. Who speaks with that style of governing in the GOP now?
Two films provide good, middle of the road, factual background about the obstructionism I’ve characterized as ‘nullification.’ Frontline’s excellent film, “Inside Obama’s Presidency.” Media Matters, “Sabotage: The Story Behind The Republican Party’s “Top Political Priority.”