AS WE SEE IT: Enough of the partisan bickering

I recently saw an editorial that put forward the position that the COVID-19 virus, and related restrictions, divided our nation like never before.

I would argue that our nation was already sharply divided along partisan lines, and this was exactly the type of environment that allowed arguments about basic health issues to become so divisive and politically charged. While we have always had folks who have been anti-vaccination – or otherwise skeptical of the aims of our medical, insurance, and pharmaceutical industries – never in the past have these arguments taken on such a partisan bend. In fact, prior to the COVID crisis, folks who were anti-vax were seen as the fringe by members of both political parties.

But in an era where politicians regularly appeal to our most base instincts, prejudices, fears, and indignation to secure their nominations, everything has become fodder for the political theater; even the veracity of basic scientific principles.

Now that COVID restrictions have become a thing of the past (for now, barring another new variant and another wave of infections), we’re continuing to see partisan bickering over everything from gas prices to the recent nomination of Ketanji Brown Jackson to the Supreme Court.

Jackson has an impressive resume, a nearly flawless record, and the educational bona fides required to hold the office. With nothing else to point to that would disqualify President Biden’s pick, some Republicans have gone as low as they possibly can. They’ve attacked her as “soft” on child pornography for following the recommendations of prosecutor’s when prescribing sentences as a trial court judge.  

To be clear, this isn’t really about Jackson being “soft” on child exploitation. It isn’t really about the SCOTUS nominee at all. What it likely is about is allowing conservative candidates to attempt to sully their liberal opponents with the mud of being “soft” on crime and child sexual exploitation for supporting her in what promises to be – as always – a contentious midterm election.

Like with COVID, and gas prices, and everything else to come down the pike over the last couple of decades, it isn’t actually about the issue at hand at all. It’s about widening the partisan gap and attempting to motivate voters through outrage. Meanwhile the actual work of government, and the things that constituents would like to see addressed – repairs to infrastructure like roads and bridges, improved economic opportunities, increased access to affordable healthcare, and educational funding – continue to get drowned in the ever turbulent sea of partisan bickering and one-upmanship.

It hasn’t always been this way, though. And it doesn’t have to be. We could, and should, demand better from our elected officials at all levels of government, from the local through to the state and federal. We should demand demonstrable progress.

And the local level is one of the best places to start, because at the local level officials are more accessible, more accountable, and more likely to see you as a human being, and neighbor first, and as a political affiliation second.

This isn’t to say that partisan bickering doesn’t filter down to the local level. It surely does. But it’s also where it’s easiest to put the ridiculousness of those contrived and artificial distinctions to rest.

Because we work closely with elected officials and candidates from both parties in our coverage, I often find myself saying things like “he’s not a bad guy for a Democrat,” to my Republican friends and colleagues, and vice versa.

This is done for levity, of course. But it drives home a critical point – when we approach these folks as people first, as neighbors first, as fellow citizens first, rather than as their political party, it isn’t hard to find common ground and agreement.

We all want smooth roads to drive on. We all want decent paying job opportunities. We all want quality education for our children. We all want clean water to drink, healthy and affordable food to eat, and time to enjoy both with our friends and family.

These are things – the most basic of things – that our governments should be providing for us. But too often it isn’t happening, at any level. And oftentimes it isn’t happening at our local level not because the political will is lacking, but because resources, funding, and support are held up at the state or federal level due to partisan bickering over the most ridiculous and unrelated of issues.

The reason that our state and federal politicians do this is because they think it will win them votes. They think by playing up their contrived culture wars, they can distract us from these other issues and they can win re-election, or election, without putting in any of the hard work that their constituents pay them to do. And they’re right. It has worked. Many an unqualified candidate has won office by appealing to the lowest instincts and knee-jerk reactions of their voting base. They’ve played us all for fools, and we’ve let them. 

We can stop it, though.

What these politicians want is our votes, and we can deny them those votes unless they show not only a willingness, but a plan to address the brass tacks issues that are important to all of us.

This May, in the primary election, and this November, in the general election, we’re asking you to reject partisan division. Reject manufactured controversy. Focus on candidates, of either party, with solid, accessible plans for addressing the things that we can all agree we need. Do your part to get government back to work, and out of the Jerry Springer-esque controversy cycle they’ve currently been thriving in.