The New Nobility

No Title of Nobility shall be granted by the United States

US Constitution, Article I, Section 9

 

Among those running for the Presidency are Hillary Clinton, the wife of former President Bill Clinton and Jeb Bush, son and sibling of two presidents (George Bush and George W. Bush).  There is also Rand Paul, the son of long-serving Congressman Ron Paul and Lincoln Chafee, the son of life-long politician John Chafee.  Lincoln actually inherited his father's Senate seat when the elder Chafee died.  Oh, sure, the governor of Rhode Island 'appointed' him but that's pretty blatant.  The United States should not have family dynasties in politics, especially at the national level.

 

To an extent, this is unavoidable.  For millennia, most men found themselves in the same profession as their father.  A farmer's son became a farmer, blacksmith's son a blacksmith, a cobbler's son a cobbler, and so forth.  Even today, it is natural that a parent would impart knowledge of their chosen profession to their children.  Many kids want to be like mom or dad.  In most cases, that is fine.  However, in politics, it is troublesome.  With all the sway that former politicians accumulate (witness how many become lobbyists of their former colleagues), it creates dynastic families that are not so much elected as anointed.  Would JEB Bush have done so well on fundraising if he wasn't related to two former presidents?  Would Hillary have been elected Senator in New York if she wasn't married to the sitting president?  Would either George W or Jeb have been elected governors of Texas and Florida if their father had not been president?  For that matter, would George Bush have won a seat in congress in 1967 if not for his father, Senator Prescott Bush.

Family dynasties are incompatible with representative republics.  When Jeb Bush announced his candidacy, he let it be known that he would seek the nomination without appealing to the Republican base.  The base opposes Amnesty and Common Core; Bush favors both.  If not for his family connections, he would already be toast.  What of Hillary?  Her campaign, such as it is, survives thanks to Bill's charm and popularity.  Without Bill, Hillary would have had no political career at all.

Sadly, there is no legal fix for this.  It would be inappropriate to deny people to run for public office because a parent, sibling, or spouse had done so.  The only solution is for the public to refuse to vote for them.  I have not yet voted for a Bush or a Clinton and have no plans to ever do so.  Please join me.