"Onnabrite"

It is a truth universally acknowledged that kids lie. So when my parents really needed the straight scoop from us, they looked deep into our eyes and asked: “Onnabrite?” 

Because I had never seen this phrase in writing, and because I had long ditched my own South African accent, I thought for many years that my parents had just selected a nonsense word for this solemn purpose. At an embarrassingly late age, I discovered that what they were really saying was “Honor bright?” and that they had not made it up:

The concept had heft for me: I couldn’t explain how exactly, but I was quite sure that if you said “Honor bright” and then lied, the earth would CRACK OPEN AND SWALLOW YOU WHOLE. 

What I did not realize as a little kid, but came to understand with time, is that this wasn’t literally the case, but it was an apt metaphor: when you lie to people who want and need to trust you—family, friends, colleagues, neighbors—things fall apart. They just do. When trust is broken, and when the necessary repairs aren’t made, the center cannot hold.* 

Chin up, Democrats. It’s good news that Platner’s out—and out now. He was a liability, both strategically and morally.

Strategically: Susan Collins’ team was likely going to detonate their oppo in an October surprise, just in time to win on Election Day. The fact that Platner was exposed in time for Democrats to field a replacement wasn’t simply luck; I suspect Jenny Racicot, who supported Platner’s politics, decided that speaking out—for which she will inevitably pay a terrible price—was more worth it, when there was still a chance to put someone else on the ballot. 

But say I’m wrong: say Platner’s candidacy had somehow managed to survive four more months. Say he’d won in November. We’d still have a problem. Yes, we need charisma. We need generational change. We need bold policies to fix what’s broken. 

What we do not need—what we cannot afford—are more people in power, in either party, who are willing to betray our trust. You don’t have to be perfect to run for office, but you do have to tell the truth and you do have to demonstrate an appetite for accountability. We’ve seen what happens when we stop demanding this from our elected officials. 

More good news: Maine has decided to hold a nominating convention to pick Platner’s replacement. Only 600 people will get to decide who goes on the ballot—but that’s 599 more than the one (Joe Biden) who decided on Harris. I used to think democracy was binary: a country either had it or it didn't. Now I think of it as a tug-of-war between decisions that expand democracy and decisions that erode it. By choosing a convention—however rushed—over a coronation, Maine is inching us in the right direction.

*Hat tip to the OG.