I did not think it coincidental or even surprising that two political stories of the same tenor were playing out over the past two weeks.
On a national scale, a small group of diehard conservatives held the House speakership ambitions of Kevin McCarthy hostage until he made key concessions and won the gavel on a 15th vote.
Meanwhile out here in flyover country, all of Michigan was riveted as another small group, Ottawa Impact, took a majority of the county board and immediately passed a series of resolutions that appeared more cultural than political.
But reality: In America of the 21st century is there a difference?
In a flurry of “whereas”es, the new commissioners:
Eliminated a department of diversity, equity and inclusion;
Fired the county administrator and replaced him on the spot with John Gibbs, a Donald Trump-backed failed candidate for U.S. House;
Demoted the county health administrator and replaced her with an opponent of COVID masking and distancing policies; and,
Changed the county’s motto from “Where You Belong” to “Let Freedom Ring,” saying the old motto promoted “divisive Marxist ideology.”
The new board members did not apologize, mince words or equivocate about their intentions. If anything, they told voters ahead of the November general election what they planned to do, and new Board Chair Joe Moss circled back to that point to end that organizational meeting:
”The people of Ottawa County overwhelmingly spoke with their vote to restore the constitutional rights of the people as a first priority of the Ottawa County Board of Commissioners and to defend their piece of America, to protect their individual freedoms, parental rights and freedom of religion and conscience,” Moss said.
“Today we took necessary steps to align the leadership of Ottawa County with the priorities of the people.”
The wave that swept in has roiled many in the county, with dozens speaking in opposition to the changes at a board meeting this week and some demanding a recall.
But that’s the point, isn’t it? That the system, from the elections to the changes some see as jarring or confrontational, is actually working how it is designed. In American democracy, the winning party can have a 51 percent to 49 percent victory, but then run things 100 percent the way they see fit.
The view that these politicians and their views – whether its Ottawa Impact or the so-called “Chaos Caucus” in Washington – are in the minority or are too extreme falls apart when you realize they were duly elected by voters they represent.
Especially when they told voters repeatedly who they are and what they plan to do.
In Ottawa County, the Impact candidates ran on social issues and vowed change; most of the representatives that dogged McCarthy were 2020 election deniers who were re-elected by their constituents.
In both cases, they not only followed the rules but also did what savvy politicians have done forever – they used the rules to change the rules to be more in their favor. In this fashion, the minority can and will tilt the playing field in its favor.
This is not a column for or against what the factions did in Washington, D.C., or in West Olive, Mich. (Although the journalist in me in concerned that the Ottawa group may have violated the Open Meetings Act or at the very least played fast and loose with it.)
But make no mistake, the majority that matters are those who go to the polls and the government we get is the government we choose. On both counts, that has always been the case.
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John Hiner is the vice president of content for MLive Media Group. If you have questions you’d like him to answer, or topics to explore, share your thoughts at editor@mlive.com.
