Build a real democracy
I don’t like Donald Trump’s policies, the violence in his language, his dog-whistle racism, or his aversion to basic facts. But a clear plurality of Republican primary voters and caucus-goers have supported him, yet party insiders are using little-understood rules and technicalities to prevent him from receiving the nomination.
The political adversary of my political adversary is not necessarily my friend, however. Simple outcome is not the only thing that matters. I want former felons to have a voice in our political process no matter who they vote for. I want people to register, learn about candidates no matter who they vote for. And I want the will of the Republican electorate to determine the Republican candidate for president, no matter who a plurality of them support.
We need to build a real democracy in this country. That takes effort and patience, it means caring about process in addition to outcome, and it means making sure that even people you dislike are treated fairly.
Dave Newton
Lexington
This story was originally published April 26, 2016 at 6:15 PM with the headline "Build a real democracy."