The Myth of Mr. Smith — Why moral exhortation doesn’t change politics

In the American political conscience, there lingers a myth: That real change comes from exhortation — passionate, unyielding exhortation — that moves the hearts of men and women. According to this story, virtuous citizens advocate relentlessly for what is right until the sheer moral force of their persistence breaks through.

This sentiment is epitomized in the classic film “Mr. Smith Goes to Washington.” There, Mr. Smith spends himself on the Senate floor, filibustering without rest, shaming his colleagues, refusing to give up even when all seemed lost. And when victory finally arrives, it arrives not because the people organized and seized their rightful power, nor because of any tactical maneuvering, but because his nemesis, Sen. Joseph Paine, unable to bear the lashings of his awakened