To be clear, I’m not talking about constitutional or legal disqualification, but rather suggesting that voters shouldn’t vote for candidates with certain characteristics, which I’ll get to, regardless of their party or policy positions.
Criminals, for one. A record of dishonesty and lying. On the Democratic (but not Republican) side, sexual harassment allegations have been a kiss of political death. Racists. I personally won’t vote for racists, bigots, election deniers, or people who don’t believe in democracy.
I would like for candidates to understand and respect our system of representative government. That doesn’t describe Doug Mastriano, the GOP’s 2022 candidate for Pennsylvania governor.
The Philadelphia Inquirer says, “As he tours the Commonwealth, Mastriano has essentially walled himself off from the general public, traveling within a bubble of security guards and jittery aides who aim to not only keep him safe, but ensure he only comes into contact with true believers.” To which CNN adds, “Mastriano continues to refuse to engage with the mainstream media.” (Read story here.)
Mastriano clearly doesn’t want to be a governor for all Pennsylvanians. A candidate only listens to people who agree with him shouldn’t be governor at all. In his case, there are additional disqualifiers as well.
He’s a “Christian nationalist” who wants to mix religion with governing, in violation of the First Amendment, and his rallies more resemble religious revivals than political campaigning. e has a very narrow worldview; a former military man, he’s steeped in top-down management (i.e., giving orders), and shows no signs of having acquired collaborative skills, which is what governing in a democracy is all about. Being an election denier casts doubt on whether he even believes in democracy.
Pennsylvanians apparently agree he’s unsuited for the role he’s seeking, according to a CNN poll last week, which has him down 56%-39%. The other major statewide race, for U.S. Senate, is much closer; and in 2020, Biden won the state by only a little over 1%. That’s evidence at least some Republican voters are troubled by Mastriano, as they should be.
Lincoln aptly described American government as “of the people, by the people, and for the people.” This lesson is taught to all American schoolchildren. It looks like voters, both Democrats and Republicans, are about to teach him that lesson. Mastriano failed to learn it; you can’t govern by walling yourself off from the general public, and by doing that he’s disqualified himself in voters’ eyes.