How Short-termism is Breaking Washington: Eric Cantor

On March 16th, 2016, GU Politics welcomed Eric Cantor, former House Majority Leader and Republican Representative from Virginia, to discuss the long and short of American politics.

In a conversation with Mo Elleithee, GU Politics Executive Director, and Jackie Kucinich, Politics Editor for The Daily Beast and a current Fellow, the conversation delved into how voter preferences are impacting the nation’s political culture. Cantor argued that institutional mistrust, government overreach, and unreal expectations have misrepresented what is and is not possible in Congress. Furthering this, social media and effective SuperPACs have furthered that representation. And yet, through better education and communication with voters, this drift towards short-termism may be reversed.

Covering the 2008 election forward, Cantor recounted some of the pivotal changes in politics since then. Knowing they wouldn’t end the ACA and other Democratic policies, “My side played into that and we started passing repeal bills, over and over again.” He blamed this new short-termism for his primary loss in 2014 before expressing concern over then-candidate Donald Trump’s rise.