Groundhog Day In America

One of my favorite movies is the 1993 classic Groundhog Day.

In the movie, set in Punxsutawney, PA, the film’s main character, Phil Connors (played by Bill Murray), is forced to repeatedly relive the same day (February 2nd, Groundhog Day) until he gets it right by becoming a decent human being.

Unfortunately, in America, we have been living through a version of Groundhog Day for years.

But most of us are not the cinematic protagonist-antagonist, Phil Connors. Instead, we are more like the hapless citizens of Punxsutawney, caught in the repeating time loop caused by Phil’s antisocial behavior.

The Phils in our Groundhog Day are political participants in the United States who refuse to cooperate or compromise, causing us as a nation to remain gridlocked on crucial work.

But in America’s Groundhog Day, our true competitors, like China, are not caught in the same time loop as us. It is only we who are trapped and falling behind. And, unlike the movie, the Phils in our Groundhog Day only appear to be getting progressively more dysfunctional, not less.

But there is a way out of this seemingly endless nightmare. As with the redemption of Bill Murray’s character, we can insist that our political leaders become better people by putting the greater good of our country ahead of partisan differences.

The Pennsylvania Dutch tradition behind Groundhog Day states that if the groundhog doesn’t see its shadow, spring will arrive early. Let’s hope America’s political players, by keeping their face toward the sun this February 2nd, won’t focus on their dark side, and civic spring can return early to America.

Rest assured, the Benjamin Franklin Party will be gazing sunward this February 2nd and always.

Happy Groundhog Day!

James Carroll
National Committee Chair
Benjamin Franklin Party