Democratic Party was reinvigorated and ready to take on Trump.
And where was Trump and the Republican Party? Struggling to address the change.
This left the former President and his mini-me, J.D. Vance, resorting to deal making and name calling. Trump took the lead, mocking Harris
though name-calling (Lyin’ Kamala Harris) and purposely mispronouncing her name, suggesting she was not qualified to be president (though he wrote a $5000 campaign check in support of her when she ran for Attorney General in California), and claiming she was "evil". He also reached out to evangelicals, telling them they wouldn’t have to “vote again” if they returned him to office in November – reinforcing concerned Democrats who feared he would pack the court with pro-life justices if not seek to be president for life.
J.D. Vance? He is not bringing any new voters to the Republican party, only alienating what suburban women they already had with statements suggesting childless women are “cat ladies” who, by not having children, were not acting in the best interest of the country – going even further to refer to them as “sociopaths” and “psychotic,” suggesting that childless people should be taxed at a higher rate than people who had children. While trying to walk such statements back without issuing an actual apology, he has been beset by large numbers of women in both parties denouncing such a position.
The nomination of Harris has set the Republican Party leadership and membership back on their heels, reeling in defense of positions they weren’t prepared to defend. If Harris and the Democratic Party are to keep them on the defensive, they cannot rest upon these short-term wins but instead embrace the examples of character, temperament, and practice set out by Biden. This Trump cannot equal.
Returning to the "Allegory of the Cave"
The "Allegory of the Cave" has served to provide context about the 2024 presidential election and the character, temperament, and practice of the nominees who wish to serve as president.
Removing contemporary events from the 24/7 buzz of media and political spin, the "Allegory of the Cave" allows those of us residing in the 21st century to step out of the contingencies of daily lives and place ourselves within the arc of history more generally. It allows us to feel as
though we are not alone in confronting such challenges, that others across history have also confronted such challenges in their own time. Using the framework provided by the "Allegory of the Cave," the lessons learned both from the allegory and from history can guide our own thinking and make us less reliant on the political rhetoric that washes across the landscape today.
And the three great lessons to be learned are:
1) Enlightened leaders possess the character, temperament, and practice to guide us through facts and circumstances toward the truth that is represented in both the Idea of the Good and through the practice of goodness; that enlightened leaders in doing so serve not themselves but people more generally who
desire to be good people but cannot see the way forward or are bound by grievances that inhibit their ability to become such.
2) We – individuals of all parties and beliefs – can reason our own way to making proper
decisions, by applying our soul's innate vision properly, if we were allowed to do so, if enlightened leaders worked to create environments within which this could happen instead of manipulating environments to create divisions through which they can promote their own ego or agendas.
3) The proper way to engage is through
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