Noah Hawley

Because it’s a choice between Momala and the Godfather

Family was our original government. Our homes were our nations. Parents ran the place. They were citizen rulers, providing food, shelter, safety. And though we kids didn’t vote them into office, we relied on our parents to govern fairly and equitably, as they had relied on their parents before them.

Some governments have two leaders, some only a single parent.

Some kids lived with aunts, uncles, grandparents, or went through a surrogacy of foster care. No matter what your family structure, it was your first experience of civic life—empathy, rule following, learning how to be one among many. Or the opposite—pettiness and recrimination, unpredictability and abuse. Whatever structure a child grows up in is normal to that child.

Now, citizens are not children, and presidents are not parents, but in 2024 we all know what it is like to feel unsafe in the hands of a leader. On November 5, we have a choice between two candidates. Let’s call them Momala and the Godfather. Momala is working two jobs, saving money to send us to college. She makes sure there are groceries in the house. The Godfather sleeps until noon. He wants you to do him a favor. He is more of a boss than a parent. His mindset is “What have you done for me lately?”

Momala says she loves all her children equally. She is a prosecutor who enforces the rules. Momala wants to create a system of clear cause and effect—crime and punishment—because with clarity there is security. The Godfather, on the other hand, plays favorites. He makes rules that can’t be followed, because the rules change constantly. He threatens to shoot us in the leg if we act up. He calls this “law and order.” Everything bad, he tells us, is our fault.

For those of us who grew up feeling safe and secure under the neoliberal order of the last hundred years, the choice of president is clear. We want stability, democracy, and equality. But what we have to understand is that many Americans had a very different experience growing up, even though we lived in the same home. They felt unsafe under Clinton, Obama, and even George W. Bush. They felt unsafe because the decisions those presidents made to grow a consumer-driven economy favored corporations over workers and sent American jobs overseas.

They felt unsafe because they believed their presidents favored cities over counties, and looked down on citizens who didn’t go to college. To them, this election is a battle between the spoiled, smug, city kids—who are Mommy and Daddy’s favorites—and the black sheep of the family—those unwanted and forgotten children who then decided to start their own family. To them, the Godfather is the good parent, in that he too is angry. He doesn’t want equality. He wants control. He demands loyalty, sure, but in return he promises dominance.

This is where we are. Two political parties led by parental opposites. But the question at the heart of democracy is not who will be the best leader for some of us, but for America as a whole. Which parent will make all of his or her children feel wanted?

Because a wanted child isn’t filled with resentment. A wanted child may disagree with a parent, but they still know that they belong in their family.

The Godfather has told us repeatedly that he has no interest in protecting anyone who doesn’t agree with him. He’s not looking for a nice Thanksgiving. He’d rather stir the pot of childhood grievance and watch his grown kids fight. Meanwhile, Momala already leads a blended family, raising children from her husband’s first marriage. She understands that family is a choice. Under her, there is a chance for those Americans who support the Godfather to feel safe and included in our blended American family. There is a chance for reconciliation and mutual forgiveness. But under the Godfather, those of us who aren’t loyal to him will never feel safe again.

Noah Hawley is an Emmy-winning showrunner, best-selling novelist, filmmaker, writer, and producer. He is the creative force behind FX’s hit anthology series Fargo, as well as the highly anticipated FX series Alien.