My gut reaction to this news was confusion. I felt like that I "should" be happy to see him go. He stands across the political aisle from my views, and I guess that means he's an "enemy." However, I also know that he has been a moderate voice on the Republican side who's been faced with an uprising from the Tea Party group. The Tea Party view points are even further away from mine, so maybe it comes down to "the enemy of my enemy is my friend." I contemplated what this may mean for the future for a bit, and conclude that I am personally fearful that a hard-line Tea Party representative will replace him. Thus while I disagree with him on many points, the evil you know is better than the evil you do not know. Further, I could observe a seed of compassion in Boehner that I do not see in many other Republicans in this Congress. In conclusion, I am sad to see him go (even if I should be happy given our political differences).
After diving into work for a bit, I pulled up a few news pages. As expected all the headlines revolved around Boehner's announcement. They provided some additional information I didn't know - especially that he had had a private meeting with Pope Francis outside of his addressing Congress. I also learned this day fulfilled a long-time dream of his. They also gave examples and context on just how hard he had to fight within factions of the GOP, and I realized how frustrating that would be for him on a personal level. My conclusion that I'm sad to see him give up and quit became more firm.
By that evening, the headlines expanded to include the reactions of other political headliners. In short, Ted Cruz was out dancing in the street, celebrating this decision. That his resignation makes Cruz happy made it all the more obvious that I should not be happy with this decision to give up his elected position. In this case, the enemy of my enemy is indeed my friend.
To John Boehner: I am sorry to see you give up on this fight. But I understand that being Speaker in the current climate is an untenable and unwinnable situation. I truly hope your audience with the Pontiff has opened your heart and eyes to the possibilities of where treating everyone with compassion can lead us. I wish you the best of luck in your future endeavors and implore you to keep your humility. If your next professional step requires compromise with opposing viewpoints, may the world see you're doing the best with what you've been given.
Because a thing is national of the past, it need not follow that it must be national of the future. -- Sri Aurobindo
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