“What we need most right now, at this moment, is a kind of patriotic grace — a grace that takes the long view, apprehends the moment we’re in, comes up with ways of dealing with it, and eschews the politically cheap and manipulative. That admits affection and respect. That encourages them. That acknowledges that the small things that divide us are not worthy of the moment; that agrees that the things that can be done to ease the stresses we feel as a nation should be encouraged, while those that encourage our cohesion as a nation should be supported.” — Peggy Noonan, “Patriotic Grace: What It Is and Why We Need It Now”

“Let the enemies of freedom around the world hear us loud and clear: The people’s house is back in business,” U.S. Rep. Mike Johnson, a Republican of Louisiana, said after winning the gavel on Wednesday after three weeks, four nominees, and four votes.

Then Johnson addressed his Democratic colleagues: “I know that in your heart you love and care about this country and you want to do what’s right, and so we’re going to find common ground there.”

Common ground.

Rare turf, indeed, these days.

If Johnson can plant his flag there, he might have a chance to resuscitate this nation’s moribund unity, patriotism, and faith in democracy. If he can do that, our newfound — re-found — American harmony might rise over Washington like a high tide, rinsing the city of the partisan taint that has long prevented our leaders from locking arms against the many enemies we face.

The skeptic in me screams at the many high, ragged mountains Johnson would have to climb to get there.

It began on Oct. 3, when eight hard-right Republicans voted to oust then-speaker Kevin McCarthy, a Republican from California, in part over his 11th-hour decision to work with Democrats on a short-term funding plan to avoid a government shutdown.

McCarthy’s ouster cast the House afloat, rudderless, unable to legislate at the same time many crises rose against our nation — migrants flowing by the thousands over our southern border, wars in Ukraine and the Middle East, and another government shutdown looming just weeks away.

Democrats aren’t blameless. They could have voted to save McCarthy and avoided the scary chaos that followed his firing, but they apparently decided it was better for the nation to watch Republicans squirm than have a functioning Congress.

After the House stripped McCarthy of the gavel, Republicans nominated and then rejected Steve Scalise, Jim Jordan, and Tom Emmer, the last of whom carried the mantle for just a few hours before dropping out of the race because former President Donald Trump came out publicly against him.

The three-week boondoggle would suggest a GOP conference fractured by ideologies and egos, ones that may not be willing to work with each other, let alone the loyal opposition.

That’s one mountain.

Another?

Remember McCarthy lost the speakership in part because he worked with Democrats. Even if Johnson wants to find common ground with his colleagues across the aisle, his conference may not let him.

Finally, the highest mountain of all: The issues at hand are so perilous, the consequences so dire, that it may no longer be possible, let alone vogue, to meet in the middle.

The budget stuff should be easy. You can find a midpoint between any two numbers.

But how do you find the midpoint between someone who believes abortion is a mortal sin and someone who believes it’s about personal liberty? What common ground can be walked by someone who believes the 2020 election was fraudulent and someone who believes the people truly spoke?

Johnson told Democrats he knows they “want to do what’s right,” but his definition of “right” is likely very different from theirs.

Johnson’s success — if we accept at his word that he really wants to climb those ragged mountains — will depend in large part on us, the American people.

Our elected leaders may not seem to act in our interest, but I believe they still respond to our cues. They’re at each other’s throats because we’re at each other’s throats.

If we want Johnson to bring bipartisanship back to the people’s House — and we should want that, good as it is for the republic and our stature on the world stage — then we have to show him and all the other numbskulls on both sides of the aisle that we can live in a bipartisan way.

We have to stop screaming at each other and recognize, as Johnson says he recognizes, that we all in our hearts care about this country and want to do what’s right.

Justin A. Hinkley can be reached at 989-354-3112 or jhinkley@thealpenanews.com.