Washington warned us about ‘spirit of party’

In his farewell address to the nation in 1796, George Washington gave two primary warnings in the speech.

First was his global concern about “permanent alliances” with foreign countries.

The second warning concerned putting political party interests ahead of the interests of the nation. Washington didn’t consider himself a prophet but the “spirit of party” he foretold is not unlike the partisan divide we see gripping our nation and inciting American citizens today.

“Let me now take a more comprehensive view, and warn you in the most solemn manner against the baneful effects of the spirit of party generally,” said Washington.

That address came at a crucial time during the struggle over ratification of our Constitution. A debate erupted over the transition from creating a new federal government to deciding how powerful that government would be. This opened the door to the formation of political factions or parties.

The Federalists, led by Secretary of Treasury Alexander Hamilton, wanted a strong central government, while the Anti-Federalists, led by Secretary of State Thomas Jefferson, favored states’ rights instead of centralized power. Washington was especially grieved by this heavyweight battle within his own cabinet.

The Federalists were allied with the commercial section of the country while their opponents drew their strength from the agricultural sector. That early divide reminds us of today’s political map showing the split between blue and red states.

Today’s attempt by Democrats to impeach a duly-elected president for “high crimes and misdemeanors” also mirrors the kind of partisan politics Washington warned about 223 years ago. Both Democratic and Republican House members today are in lockstep with their party leadership, not only over the current impeachment but for the long-range policy course for the nation.

Political parties have been called the life’s blood of a democracy while the military provides the security necessary for democracy to continue. But Washington, who historians regard as the first and last American president who transcended partisanship, foresaw the pitfalls.

Current survey data reflects our first president’s concerns about partisanship. Last year, Pew Research Center conducted a major survey of public views of our political system and American democracy. The yearlong study “Facts, Trust and Democracy” found that Democrats have grown less positive about elected officials who compromise.

In the past, Democrats were more likely than Republicans to have positive views of elected officials who make compromises, but that is no longer the case. Today, 46 percent of Democrats and 44 percent of Republicans say “they like elected officials who make compromises with people they disagree with.” Just a year earlier, Democrats were 23 percentage points more likely than Republicans to have positive views of elected officials who compromise.

As Democrats try to build a case for impeachment against a president they despise, Trump seems unworried by the accusations which are based on hearsay evidence. Both principals in this case, President Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymr Zelensky, deny there was anything sordid in their phone conversations — no intimidation or bribery as the Democrats are charging. Trump even beat his Democratic accusers to the punch by releasing transcripts of the suspected calls.

Jake Novak, a political and economic analyst and former CNBC TV producer, wrote last month about how Trump’s poll numbers remain static and unaffected by the constant drum beat of accusations from the Democrats on the left and how the president’s fundraising numbers have actually increased. Novak wrote that very large number of Americans don’t have high levels of trust and respect for the government, that they’re buoyed by Trump’s drain-the-swamp promises and are fine with the president being that junkyard dog who digs out all of what Trump supporters see as deep state corruption.

Before launching into impeachment, House Democrats should have looked in the mirror to check their own performance numbers. A Gallup poll in June found that just 20 percent of Americans approved of the job Congress was doing and their overall approval rating hasn’t hit 30 percent in 10 years.

Adam Schiff isn’t doing his colleagues any favors with the sham impeachment circus. Those on the hot seat are the 31 Democrats from Trump-Pence districts who will face their home district voters when they run for re-election.

By Jim Zbick | tneditor@tnonline.com