Looking ahead

 

Gen. Gus Perna, second from left 
(Photo Credit: U.S. Army)

Sunday night, the CBS news magazine program 60 minutes interviewed General Gus Perna about his work preparing to distribute Covid vaccine to all Americans upon completion of the necessary clinical trials. Seeing him speak, seeing him hold himself accountable for achieving results for the American people, seeing him describing the gaps in his knowledge and his method of educating himself, I had two thoughts.

First, for the sake of my American friends, I hope this man succeeds. Second, I hope he's a Republican. The only candidates for the next Republican presidential nomination I have seen floated so far have no practical experience or qualifications except in opinion journalism. Even a short glimpse of General Perna at work suggested how much better Republicans, and indeed Americans, can do.

General Perna may not deliver, of course. A single 60 minutes interview hardly provides a basis for a comprehensive assessment of anyone's character and abilities. Operation warp speed may fail. The whole project, and particularly the military role in it, may turn out badly, and I have observed this administration long enough to know their decisions do not come with a guarantee of quality. But seeing the way General Perna took responsibility for his part in the work, without qualification, gave me a reason to hope for his success, and a reminder of how much better the Republican Party can do.

Quite possibly, the American Republican party will decide to learn nothing and forget nothing, to act as though their country faces no real challenges, and their voters need only to have some public figure assure them of their superiority to the rest of the world and to their fellow citizens. Four years ago, the Republicans did not run the best candidate for president; they didn't even run the best game show host. Right now, those poised to insist they did nothing wrong, and to try to double down next time, appear ascendant in the party. Still, I continue to hold out hope for a turn toward a president who at least knows how to take responsibility, to have enough humility to try to learn what he or she does not know and to delegate. The United States has plenty of men and women, throughout society, who take responsibility, who deliver on their promises, and who can rise to challenges.

Americans of all parties, can support candidates who take responsibility for their decisions. Americans can support politicians who talk frankly about the challenges facing the United States and the world. Americans can support politicians who understand their job has little to do with self esteem, their own or that of their supporters. Americans can support politicians who promise to rally them together to overcome those problems only collective national action can address. So far, President-elect Biden seems determined to fill that role for the Democrats. Perhaps by the next election, Republicans will have found a man who can do it for them.