OPINION
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KANSAN.COM
Liston: Both major political parties need reform RYAN LISTON @rliston235
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olitics can often seem like a whirlwind of debauchery and corruption. Currently, with President Donald Trump’s ongoing Russia scandal, the Republican Party may seem particularly rotten. However, the Democratic Party is not wholly perfect either. On July 11, Donald Trump Jr. tweeted screenshots of an email conversation he had with publicist Rob Goldstone indicating that the Russian government wanted to provide damaging information regarding Hillary Clinton to the Trump campaign. To me, this spells out collusion in bold letters. A few days after seeing the frenzy caused by these tweets, I read a CBS News article about former Clinton White House aide Alexandra Chalupa seeking out damaging information on then-candidate Trump from the Ukrainian government. This was not a breaking report, but it was the first time I read about the situation. To me, this again spells out collusion; although, the Ukrainian meddling seems less severe and less-connected with the Clinton campaign. Nonetheless, neither of our political parties should be turning to foreign entities in an attempt to beat the other in elections. Collusion, while likely one of the most corrupt acts by either party, is only one issue that the parties need to address. The Democratic and Republican Parties both need major reform.
Illustration by Gracie Williams
On the Republican side, falling in line behind a candidate that is so blatantly sexist, incompetent and narcissistic is deplorable. During the primaries, Trump was roundly criticized even by members of his own party. Yet during the general election, most Republican opposition faded even when Trump was at his worst. The GOP supports a man who threatens the free press, attacks women on their looks, mocked a disabled reporter, labeled Mexicans as criminals and frighteningly praised Russian President Vladimir Putin for his strong leadership when discussing the killings of Putin’s political enemies and of journalists who criticized Putin’s regime.
Instead of leading to any retrospection, President Trump’s actions have emboldened some other members of the Republican Party to act similarly. One of the more extreme examples of this manifested when Republican Rep. Greg Gianforte — then a candidate for Montana’s House seat and the eventual winner of that election — body-slammed a reporter. On the Democratic side, the Democratic National Committee seemingly put its weight behind Clinton during the primaries in an attempt to stop Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders from winning the Democratic nomination. Leaked emails show that the DNC strate-
gized ways to weaken the Sanders campaign. The Democratic Party also places heavy emphasis on higher education, which to many Americans is financially unattainable, and environmental issues that some people rightfully worry will put them out of work. Sanders himself pushed for a reform of the Democratic Party with his “political revolution.” He hoped to make the party’s platform highlight income and wealth inequality, job creation from converting to renewable energy, and a general focus on growing the country’s middle class. On both sides, politicians rely heavily on wealthy donors and special interests to
get elected and push their agendas. This reliance on big money takes a politician’s focus away from everyday Americans and encourages them to court donors who can aide their political ambitions. Consequently, the problems and issues that most Americans face can take a back seat to the will of corporations and wealthy individuals. The onus of creating a political system that works for everyone is not just on the major political parties; it is on all of us. We need to be active and passionate about the issues that we face. We must vote for politicians who we believe will institute necessary changes to their parties. We must
vote for politicians who place an emphasis on campaign finance reform and making the government work for the people. We must vote for politicians that we trust will act ethically when campaigning and when governing instead of undermining our democracy. Reform comes from a demand for change. We cannot wait for years before calling for such reform. We need to make it clear now that the current political climate is unacceptable, and that we will not tolerate cut-throat politics anymore. Ryan Liston is a junior from Lawrence studying journalism and political science