An Op-Ed piece for posible submission to print media...
A Navy Captain’s Warning: Our Democracy Is Sinking
By Donald James Snodgrass, Captain, U.S. Navy (Ret.)
I spent 27 years in the U.S. Navy, where competence was the only currency that mattered. Integrity and clear decision-making were not leadership buzzwords; they were the difference between mission success and catastrophe.
That experience shapes how I view today’s political landscape, and it should concern every American, especially readers of the Chicago Tribune. We are witnessing a slow-motion triumph of spectacle over competence. The question of who is best qualified to lead has been buried beneath an avalanche of drama that rewards performance over preparedness, a dynamic that now threatens the foundations of our democracy.
This shift toward image over substance did not happen overnight. It began with the rise of television, which elevated appearance over ability, and was later supercharged by the internet. Since 2016, national elections have increasingly resembled reality television, where the loudest voices and most theatrical stunts dominate the digital town square, crowding out serious debate and proven leadership traits. Today, this pattern is no longer confined to presidential politics. From Washington, D.C., to local councils, figures are elevated to power not because of demonstrated expertise or the capacity to manage complex institutions, but because of their willingness to perform for cameras and inflame cultural divisions.
The result is a governing culture in which failure carries little consequence, so long as the “performer” maintains the audience’s attention.
The Information Battlefield
A healthy democracy depends on a press corps and an electorate capable of separating fact from fiction. That safeguard is eroding under three distinct pressures.
First, the line between reporting and commentary has blurred, making it harder for the public to distinguish what happened from what is being argued. Second, the routine dismissal of legitimate journalism as “fake news” has undermined the very notion of a shared reality. Third, artificial intelligence is rapidly reshaping the information battlefield, allowing falsehoods and synthetic authenticity to be manufactured at scale.
When people can no longer trust what they see or hear, they fall back on perceived likability and the cues of social media influencers. We are no longer choosing leaders; we are casting characters.
Beyond “Doing Better”
Simply calling on journalists or politicians to “do better” is a strategy for failure. What is needed are structural guardrails.
Just as Americans expect accurate, vetted information during a national emergency, we should demand the same standard when selecting a commander in chief. This is not about restricting free speech; it is about protecting the public from deliberate deception.
Modernizing the Federal Election Commission is a critical first step. Years of partisan gridlock have rendered the FEC largely ineffective. A strengthened, genuinely nonpartisan commission could curb the influence of dark money and help ensure that elections reward substance over theatrics.
Choosing Capability Over Celebrity
Most Chicagoans understand the fundamentals of hiring. If you need a plumber, a teacher, or a CEO, you choose the person best qualified for the job—not the one with the flashiest interview or the largest following.
Yet when it comes to the most consequential leadership positions in the world, we have abandoned this common sense. We are paying the price through persistent gridlock, institutional decay, and a growing risk to national security.
If we hope to restore trust in our institutions, we must demand a political process that values preparation over performance. We need leaders who are committed to the hard work of governance, not the easy dopamine hit of a viral moment. The stakes are too high to accept anything less.