It has been clear for some time that neither the American political right, nor its counterpart on the left, has capably embraced the leadership challenges of twenty-first century modernity.  Even a cursory survey of the political landscape reveals a dismal picture.  On the right, we find the mouthpieces of corporatist and plutocratic reaction, mixed with an assortment of cranks, religious ideologues, demagogues, and rogues; while the left, which once represented the interests of the working classes, has been almost entirely overwhelmed by a venomous and destructive obsession with identity, race, and gender politics, which accomplishes nothing except to corrode the fraternal bonds essential for the maintenance of a healthy social order.  The inevitable result of this acute polarity has been a debilitating paralysis.  Congress can hardly accomplish anything except token and toothless half-measures, which succeed only in delaying problems, instead of solving them.