‘Oprah in 2020’ talk is proof of our democracy’s degradation

[Lark11]

www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/post-partisan/wp/2018/01/09/the-oprah-in-2020-talk-is-proof-of-our-democracys-degradation/?tid=ss_tw&utm_term=.a4b0f14ee4aa

PostPartisan Opinion
The ‘Oprah in 2020’ talk is proof of our democracy’s degradation
By Anne Applebaum January 9 at 1:39 PM

But Trump’s total lack of qualifications shouldn’t lower the bar. In an age when you can buy anything with a mouse click, or press a “like” button to express your views, it’s tempting to think political change should be equally simple. It isn’t, and it never will be: In a constitutional democracy such as ours, all of the important changes necessarily happen slowly, preferably starting at the state level and proceeding through cross-party coalitions. They succeed because a lot of people make them succeed by working together over time. The desire for an instant solution, the longing for an outsider to come and “fix” things, is not just undemocratic; it’s also delusional, a form of magical thinking or perverted religious belief.

If Oprah Winfrey is serious, she should run for the Senate, learn what it takes to turn emotions into issues and issues into law. She should decide whether she likes that kind of work, which is not anything like what she does now, then decide if she is good at it — and then run for president. Our presidency is not a monarchy: The president is not just a national symbol, but rather a functioning, active part of the political process. Anyone who aspires to be president should be willing to take the time to understand that process. If they aren’t, then the American public shouldn’t be willing to take them seriously either.

But Trump’s total lack of qualifications shouldn’t lower the bar. In an age when you can buy anything with a mouse click, or press a “like” button to express your views, it’s tempting to think political change should be equally simple. It isn’t, and it never will be: In a constitutional democracy such as ours, all of the important changes necessarily happen slowly, preferably starting at the state level and proceeding through cross-party coalitions. They succeed because a lot of people make them succeed by working together over time. The desire for an instant solution, the longing for an outsider to come and “fix” things, is not just undemocratic; it’s also delusional, a form of magical thinking or perverted religious belief.

If Oprah Winfrey is serious, she should run for the Senate, learn what it takes to turn emotions into issues and issues into law. She should decide whether she likes that kind of work, which is not anything like what she does now, then decide if she is good at it — and then run for president. Our presidency is not a monarchy: The president is not just a national symbol, but rather a functioning, active part of the political process. Anyone who aspires to be president should be willing to take the time to understand that process. If they aren’t, then the American public shouldn’t be willing to take them seriously either.