Saturday, December 10, 2022

The Way Ahead

The way leaders of the two political parties seem to interpret the voting public is that we are so deeply divided into two warring camps — red and blue — that we can never be reunited. But there is another way to interpret recent election results and that is that a growing portion of the electorate doesn’t like either party much at all. Particularly the extremes of the two sides.

From this perspective, it is the rhetoric of party leaders themselves, amplified by certain media outlets left and right, that is the main divisive factor here, as opposed to any underlying issues.

In the most competitive races, so much money is spent to create so much divisive advertising that the noise of the politics overwhelms the signal. And all we are left with is a winner-takes-all mentality that reduces the process of conducting public affairs to the likes of a angry horse race.

Meanwhile, there is rarely any substantive policy debate on anything.

Take this week’s headlines. One Democratic senator declares she is really an independent, which sort of reduces her former party’s Senate majority in half, from two to one. Barely a majority at all, with a margin of error of zero should she decide to vote with Republicans on an issue.

And she has a history of trying to reach across the aisle to work with members of the opposing party.

Over in the House, the Republicans are so divided between a small number of moderates and a large number of extremists that they appear likely to be unable to even elect a Speaker without a multi-ballot, knock-down-drag-out fight among themselves.

So now there are whispers — dear God! — that the GOP moderates may have to join forces with the centrist Democrats to identify a Speaker who can carry enough votes to take on the job!

My opinion, clearly a minority view, that these developments may not be a bad thing. The more the two parties are forced to actually work together to forge a bipartisan consensus on the matters at hand, the more likely they might actually do something of value on behalf of the rest of us.

Lately I’ve developed the impression that too many people have fallen for the damaging rhetoric of those whose only goal is to win elections at all cost, so they exaggerate what is at stake to try and motivate “their” voters to get out and actually cast a ballot.

This works to an extent, as voter turnout has been relatively high in recent elections, but a whole lot of people sit on the sidelines as well, disgusted by both parties and not feeling like participating in the anger-fueled electoral process at all.

Sitting mostly (but not completely) above all of this is an aging President whose main political virtue is that he was able to work with members of the other party throughout his long career.

We actually need more people like Joe Biden in public service — people who prefer consensus to division. As I said, he’s not perfect in this matter — on occasion he sinks to demonizing Republicans just like the rest.

But his clear preference is a third way, and now we need that more than ever.

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