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In the wake of the Trump presidency, American democracy often feels like a vintage vehicle discovered in a field—structurally sound in places, but plagued by corrosion, broken components, and systems that haven’t functioned properly in years. The instinct for many, particularly on the progressive left, might be to embark on a full, frame-off restoration before it can ever move again. But a growing school of thought suggests a more immediate, pragmatic approach borrowed from an unlikely source: the world of car revival culture. The mantra “Don’t get it right, just get it running” could be the most effective philosophy for navigating the nation's current political junkyard and getting democratic governance back on the road. (Analysis as of October 26, 2023).
The automotive revival genre, popularized by shows like Roadkill, thrives on a specific challenge: find a neglected, often non-functional car, and use ingenuity and available parts to make it operational—not perfect—in short order. It’s a philosophy of immediate, iterative progress. You ratchet-strap a gas can to the frame if the tank is rusted, bypass a faulty electrical system with a new wire, and focus on the core mechanics needed for forward motion. The goal is to experience the vehicle, understand its true flaws through use, and make incremental improvements from a baseline of functionality. This stands in stark contrast to the “garage queen” project that sits for a decade awaiting the perfect, often prohibitively expensive, parts for a concours-quality restoration.
Translating this ethos to the political sphere requires a significant mindset shift. The post-Trump governmental landscape is undeniably a complex project car. Institutions have been stressed, norms eroded, and public trust is leaking like a faulty fuel line. The progressive impulse to design a flawless, ideal system from first principles—a comprehensive Green New Deal, a fully realized Medicare for All system—is analogous to aiming for that showroom-perfect restoration. It's a worthy vision, but the pursuit of ideological purity can stall all forward momentum, leaving the vehicle of state inert while conditions worsen.
The alternative is a “get it running” strategy. This means prioritizing functional, achievable repairs that restore basic governance and build public confidence. It could involve passing targeted, popular legislation—like the bipartisan infrastructure law—that demonstrates the government can deliver tangible benefits, even if it falls short of a progressive utopia. It means shoring up critical systems, like election administration and the civil service, against immediate threats, using whatever tools and bipartisan support are available, rather than waiting for a sweeping democratic reform package that may never clear a divided Congress. The objective is to create a proof of concept: democracy can work, it can address problems, and it can improve lives.
This pragmatic approach does not abandon progressive values; it grounds them in action. Much like car revivalists who salvage parts from junkyards—an inherently sustainable practice—this political method seeks to reuse and strengthen existing democratic frameworks. It finds unexpected allies, perhaps among moderates or single-issue voters, whose immediate goal of “getting the car to start” aligns with the broader mission. A recent Brookings Institution report on democratic resilience emphasizes that defending institutions often requires “adaptive, iterative responses to discrete threats” rather than solely relying on grand, systemic overhauls, lending academic weight to this hands-on philosophy.
Critics may argue that this method accepts half-measures and compromises core principles. However, the car revival analogy holds a crucial insight: you can only diagnose a car’s deepest problems by driving it. A government that is partially functional, engaging with its citizens and tackling discrete issues, generates data, public feedback, and political momentum. These are the essential tools for the next phase of repair. The infrastructure law, for instance, creates a foundation upon which more ambitious climate and transit policies can later be built. It gets the engine turning over.
The political landscape of 2024 underscores the urgency of this mindset. With a potential Trump rematch on the horizon and deep societal polarization, the democratic project cannot afford to be a garage-bound ideal. The work is messy, improvised, and often frustrating. It involves engaging with fellow citizens whose political tastes seem alien, much like collaborating with a gearhead who has a radically different vision for the project car. But the shared goal of a functioning system—a car that drives, a democracy that responds—must take precedence.
Ultimately, rebuilding American democracy is a long-haul restoration. There will be time for aligning the frame, upgrading the suspension, and perfecting the finish. But the first, most critical step is to turn the key and get it moving. Progress must be measured in motion, not just in blueprints. The nation’s political mechanics must embrace the dirt-under-the-fingernails work of immediate, iterative repair. The journey toward a more perfect union, much like reviving a classic car, begins not with a dream of perfection, but with the simple, determined act of getting it running.
