The greatest danger in our presidential campaign is the divisiveness and even potential climate of violence being fostered. But the second greatest danger is that issues have been hijacked almost completely out of the campaign as the press and political community have little choice but to react to and denounce one outrage after another.
What mandate will our next president have to enact specific policies and programs if policies and programs are not being seriously discussed? How can we discern and assess competing ideas for fixing our schools, addressing hunger and poverty, rebuilding the nation’s infrastructure, combatting terrorism? The president we inaugurate in 2017 is much more likely to be effective in creating change if voters endorse such change beforehand, not merely default to who they see as the less dangerous of the two.
What a shame it would be, given the great challenges facing our nation – and especially the desperate needs of the most vulnerable and voiceless of our fellow citizens: the hungry, homeless, impoverished – for our next president to have spent years and a hundreds of millions of dollars in pursuit of the office and then get there without a clear mandate from the public to get specific things done starting on day one.
If there’s a silver lining in the dark cloud hanging over our presidential campaign it is the possibility that the growing backlash to crossing every boundary of civilized discourse and decency actually unites the country in ways that nothing else could. Each day now sees more long-serving public servants, past and present, many of them Republican, putting nation ahead of party. That needs to happen on both sides of the aisle, now and in the next White House. It needs to emerge as our new national ethic. If it does, even for a short while, there are no limits to what we can accomplish.
Related News
07 December 2023
Story
A Year of Success: Share Our Strength’s Work in India
We believe every kid deserves to have the meals they need to thrive. Unfortunately, hunger is a reality for millions...
24 October 2023
Release
RELEASE: Steven McCullough Joins Share Our Strength as COO
Nonprofit hires nationally-recognized executive to lead operations for the organization’s award-winning No Kid Hungry campaign, and shepherd its next phase...
26 September 2023
Release
RELEASE: Share Our Strength Honors Black Leaders on the Frontlines of Fighting Poverty
’Voices of Resilience’ event spotlighted the ongoing work to fight hunger and generational poverty in Black communities Contact: Meredith Jorss...