This is an exceptional interview of former Majority Leader Eric Cantor reflecting on his 2014 loss and the impact short term thinking is having on politics and business in America:
I’ll give the example of my [June 2014 Republican] primary. It was an issue, I wouldn’t say dispositive, but it certainly was one that accentuated the detractors of mine on both the right and the left. On the right, where I blame the short-termism for the problem: I took a position to say I didn’t agree with the comprehensive approach that [President Obama] was taking and the Senate bill that came over, but I did feel we needed to try to make some progress on it. My sort of strategy was to very much effect incremental change and little by little you could really see some progress grow and have more people vest in the process. So that’s why I said, “Let’s start with H1Bs. Let’s start with the kids.” And the kids was the one that really took off and lit a fire under the right because what they accused me of was being for amnesty. And … if you’re for anything allowing those who are here that are undocumented or illegal, you are for amnesty as far as the right is concerned.
[T]his country of ours has never said we’re going to hold kids liable for illegal acts of their parents. The illegal act that was committed was either staying beyond one’s authorized ability to do so with a visa or coming into the country illegally. Many of these kids were brought here when they were minors and came because their parents brought them here. [W]hy shouldn’t we just say “Alright. You’ve schooled here, you’ve grown up in the neighborhoods.” Certainly we should provide a path to citizenship for those kids. And, wow!
With a puff of his cheeks, Cantor made the sound of a bomb exploding. His political career blew up.
If you want a fantastic read about where our country is headed and what is right (and wrong) with politics today, read this. Incredibly insightful piece that shows Cantor’s character in a light most folks may not have seen, and perhaps fewer folks may have the aptitude to detect.
