Let’s get rid of our two major parties

Neither one is offering adequate leadership; it’s time to restructure the system

Looking at America’s two allegedly major political parties, the Democrats and the Republicans, on the national level, I conclude that both of them are dead as a doornail in terms of organization and ability to wage coherent election campaigns. Thus, they should go.

The Democratic National Committee made a deal that, in return for access to the Hillary Clinton campaign’s fountain of money, it would roll over on top of the presidential campaigns of Bernie Sanders or even Joe Biden. These were the doings of DNC chair Debbie Wasserman-Schultz, according to Donna Brazile, who succeeded Ms. Wasserman Schultz as interim chair last year.

Let’s pass over in silence the willingness of Ms. Brazile to sell the secrets of what is left of her party for a quick book contract.

What is perfectly clear is that the ability of the DNC, or the Democratic Party in general, to replace the enthusiasm of the only members of the party to campaign with zeal in 2016 -that is to say, go to rallies without being paid, knock on doors, stuff envelopes -is almost certainly gone forever based on their experience last year.

Why did the DNC not just play the game on a level field? Hillary was going to win the nomination. Or were the Clintons afraid she wouldn’t, based on her low-watt campaign? And if she didn’t, so what? Shouldn’t the party have had its most competitive candidate on the ticket?

Now it’s over. I am already tired of the whining about how wonderful Barack Obama was and how hard he will be to replace as figurehead for the party. That’s not what an alive political party does. An alive political party looks ahead, seeking to identify a national leader whom the American people can rally around, with a vision of the future.

So far it is hard to think “alive” when the Democratic leadership consists of House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, whom a considerable proportion of the American population hate; Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, who has the charisma of a late-night blackjack dealer; and a host of no-names, whom one wouldn’t recognize if their bodies were dumped on one’s doorstep. My recommendation that the Democratic Party be scrapped entirely is based on a lack of faith that there are, out there, bright attractive candidates with ideas.

The Republican Party, equally shot full of holes, presents a different kind of problem. It, too, should be allowed to founder as a national fallen into institution. the hands It has of leaders and followers who are tangled up financially, and, thus, in terms of strings and levers, with an American enemy, the Russians. I don’t hate the Russians; I just don’t want them messing around with American elections, through money, through messaging, or, most of all, through financial relationships.

President Donald Trump at this point, given the tightening Robert Mueller investigation, is like Nixon and Watergate. As Mr. Mueller picks off and turns Mr. Trump’s financial, personal and familial allies, eventually we will get to see all Mr. Trump’s relationships, which almost certainly will include Russians having their hooks into him and his campaign.

The president’s unpresidential personal style doesn’t help but is basically irrelevant to the matter at hand, which is, how much does he owe the Russians? What can they do with their leverage? I actually see a lot of sense in overall better relations with Moscow, although Mr. Trump’s attraction to Vladimir V. Putin’s ruling style is scary for this country.

The Republican Party is in very bad shape, in spite of controlling the House, Senate, White House and Supreme Court. There are the “straight” Republicans, belabored and insulted by Mr. Freedom Trump. Caucus There Republicans, are the appalled by the deficit spending and the coming $1.5 trillion tax cut that will be chalked onto the $20 trillion national debt. The GOP congressional leadership is easily as uninspiring as the Democrats’. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell is a laugh a minute. The trouble is, he can’t hide the fact that he knows better. House Speaker Paul Ryan’s pretending to be human just doesn’t come off. It is difficult to imagine that any of these Midwestern and Western types who form the majority of congressional Republicans don’t pray every Sunday for forgiveness for their support of Mr. Trump and his Russian ties. These people at base are very good Americans. It is not extraordinary for a modern democracy to restructure its political party layout. The French did it. The Japanese did it. The British are doing it. To a degree, the Germans are doing it, too. We need to start over, now. I don’t care what we call the new parties, as long as they are new.