The Midterms Are Upon Us...
Politicians will always tell you that every election is the most important. They want to energize their base and galvanize support. It’s oftentimes hyperbolic and politically motivated.
I think I can safely say, however, that this midterm election cycle in America is one of the most important ever. And here’s why that’s NOT hyperbole.
On one side there is a political party that actively seeks to undermine democracy. They want execute a theocratic takeover of a country founded on the separation of church and state. They want to free you from government UNLESS government is being used to inject you with conservative morality. This is the modern day Republican Party that has been consumed by Trumpism and white Christian nationalism.
On the other side is a flawed party that sucks at messaging. They are often elitist and overly-professorial. They have uninspiring slogans and they’ve let down many of their core constituents over the years, from working class Americans to minority populations. This is the modern day Democratic Party that cannot agree on a far left or more centrist agenda and direction.
Which one would you choose?
I’ll take the party not intent on undermining (or even overthrowing) democracy as we know it any day of the week. I’ll take the party not filled with 2020 election deniers, Paul Pelosi conspiracists, and white Christian nationalists who attacked the U.S. Capitol on January 6th.
For me the answer is simple, but perhaps I’m missing something. Perhaps I’m missing what almost half of America sees in supporting Republican candidates. Almost all of whom as a prerequisite have had to question the legitimacy of Biden’s presidency, and vow loyalty to Donald Trump. Unconditionally.
Tell me what I am missing.
Democracy, from my perspective, is more at stake than ever. For if Republicans win majorities in the House and Senate, we should expect full investigations into the Republicans’ political opponents, starting with an impeachment of Joe Biden. They are still not sure what they will impeach him for, but expect one.
How a baseless impeachment will help ordinary Americans improve their lives is beyond me. But that’s clearly not the aim here. The goal is to “own the libs.” Democracy be damned.
On a lighter note…
We visited Anthony Bourdain’s old restaurant this past week. It’s now called La Brasserie, which replaced Bourdain’s Les Halles. Check out our experience here and make sure to subscribe to the Bon Vivant channel if you haven’t already!
We have videos on Bryant Park’s winter village, Central Park in the fall, and a Midtown Italian restaurant up next. So make sure to subscribe so you don’t miss anything.
If only more of us could sit down together over plates of great food and sort out our differences. That’s what I always admired about Anthony Bourdain. Connecting to people through food. It’s more powerful than we think.
The Chief Twit…
Elon Musk had one hell of a first week as Twitter’s new CEO. From tweeting far right conspiracy theories to threatening to charge his most valuable content creators $7.99 per month, he’s spiraling out-of-control. You can read our take here.
Until next time, have a great week. Here’s to democracy.
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