About a month before the 2012 election, I found myself sitting in a room with State Representative Paul Clemente (D) and about 12 other organizers and volunteers from a large Michigan-based community organizing project. The topic of our tense conversation was the 90-Day Foreclosure Law, a piece of legislation enacted in 2009 to protect homeowners from being evicted from their homes. The law mandated that within 3 months of the start of the foreclosure process, the bank had to contact the homeowner and attempt to work out a loan remodification. The law was soon to expire, and shortly after the upcoming election Mr. Clemente, former member of the now-defunct House Banking and Financial Services Committee, would be voting on whether or not extend the law into 2013.
We were all assigned tasks which were to be performed in specific order during the brief meeting. A family who had been evicted from their home shared their story with the congressman as he expressed his sympathies. A few volunteers shared some statistics with Mr. Clemente that emphasized the effectiveness of the law, and then some staff implored the congressman to support the legislation when it entered the House of Representatives. I was the closer. At the conclusion of the meeting I popped the million-dollar question: “Will you vote in favor of this legislation? Yes or no.”
The congressman erupted into an impassioned speech about his unwavering support for working-class homeowners, showcasing his political prowess. He explained that he would fight tooth and nail against the republican majority who wished to see the bill eliminated, but he wouldn’t commit to vote one way or the other. He said many convincing things during our conversation, but despite asking for a one-word answer multiple times a “yes” or a “no” was not one of them.
We expected this, and we planned accordingly. I produced a list of union locals, churches, block clubs and progressive institutions and set it down on his desk. Every organization on that list was filled with registered voters who were waiting patiently for Mr. Clemente’s answer. We explained to the good congressman that regardless of what his answer (or lack thereof) was, many people were going to hear about it – and vote accordingly.
For a brief moment, I saw great surprise in the politician’s eyes. But it disappeared as soon as it came, and the meeting ended shortly after. I know why he wasn’t worried. Nearly every republican in office was against renewing the law. As activists in support of the 90 Day Law, what other option did we have besides voting blue? Essentially our position was “If you don’t commit to voting yes on this legislation, we’re going to vote for… uh… the Republican who is definitely voting no. Wait, what?”
Clemente was our best shot – in fact our only shot – at renewing the 90-day law, so I voted for him last November. Not because I felt inspired by his leadership or because I liked him, but because the thought of his opponent replacing him – a republican who would allow the 90-day law to expire –frightened me. Truth be told, I made many decisions election day that were dictated not by passion or hope, but by fear. How can an informed voter be expected to make a reasonable and educated decision when they are forced to choose between two polar opposites every two years?
A democratic society cannot be driven by fear. An estimated $4.2 Billion was raised by candidates for the 2012 election. A large chunk of that money was spent by Republicans trying to convince voters to fear Democratic leadership, and an even larger chunk was spent by Democrats trying to convince voters that Republicans were the problem.
The idea of a representative democracy is that a society elects politicians who represent their needs in government. In theory, politicians are held accountable to their word and judged by their actions. If the people are dissatisfied with a representative who isn’t meeting their needs they can elect a new one who will. Our most recent election was 3 months ago and Congress currently (as of January 2013) has a 14% approval rating. Somewhere, something has gone horribly wrong.
Political discourse has boiled down to hollow and unchanging rhetoric, rife with emotion and stripped of all logic. The blues bash the reds, the reds bash the blue, and American citizens get caught in the crossfire. Two parties are too few – but whether the solution is a 3rd party or something different is yet to be seen. One thing is for sure: if we as Americans go too long without adequate representation, we may very well find ourselves paying a heavy price.