In 1796, as George Washington prepared to leave office, he delivered one of the most prescient warnings in American history—a caution against the dangers of political parties. In his Farewell Address, Washington feared that partisan divisions would:
✅ Distract the government from real problem-solving
✅ Create divisions among the people
✅ Enable corruption, as leaders placed party loyalty above national interest
✅ Pave the way for tyranny, as one party sought to dominate over the other

Fast forward to the 1940s, and Washington’s prediction had already become reality. In The Shadow Journalist, we see how partisanship shaped elections, manipulated the media, and determined who held power—not based on merit, but political alignment.

🔹 Why Was Washington So Concerned?

Unlike today, where a two-party system dominates, Washington and the Founding Fathers envisioned a government that would be guided by principle, not party loyalty. Yet, even in the early years of the republic, factions began forming—leading Washington to fear that political ambition would eventually overtake national interest.

His exact words ring eerily true today:

“However [political parties] may now and then answer popular ends, they are likely…to become potent engines, by which cunning, ambitious, and unprincipled men will be enabled to subvert the power of the people and to usurp for themselves the reins of government.”

By the 1940s, party loyalty had become a requirement to win elections. Those who didn’t align with powerful political factions were cast aside, even if they were the most qualified. The Shadow Journalist reveals this in the story of Nate Briggs, a journalist who found himself entangled in a political conspiracy that had little to do with serving the people—and everything to do with keeping power in the hands of the elite.

🔹 Washington’s Warning in 2024

Washington knew that once political parties became entrenched, they would divide the country into “us vs. them” battles rather than uniting people under a shared national interest.

So here we are. Partisanship is at an all-time high, and many Americans are left wondering:

• Do we vote for the “lesser of two evils” instead of real leadership?
• Does truth still matter, or is everything just political theater?
• Is our democracy really functioning as it should?

In The Shadow Journalist, Nate Briggs faces these very questions as he discovers just how deep the corruption runs. The book serves as both a historical warning and a call to action—reminding us that unless we challenge the system, history will keep repeating itself.

🔹 In the next blog, we’ll explore how the 1940 election became a turning point in party corruption—and how its effects are still felt today.

🚀 Do you think Washington was right? Is partisanship destroying democracy? Let’s discuss in the comments!