Leave the "Parade Ground" of Partisanship
We can find allies if we are willing to break down problems and address their parts.
Some interesting columns in Monday’s New York Times. Jeremi Suri’s column is worth considering, “Biden Is Wasting Precious Time Fighting for America’s Soul.”
I want to pick up on an idea in it. “We will remain divided, but our divisions are more complex than Democrat versus Republican.”
It is just this fact that should enable us to find working agreements (not consensus) on aspects (parts) of major issues. We (the government of the country) will be able to build coalitions on the management important aspects of what we broadly agree are problems.
Not the abstract, but the possible. Avoiding the tag lines and partisan slogans, we can get at our problems. We don’t have to march on the parade grounds of partisanship. Or at the festivals of historic reconstruction—old uniforms, old weapons, old flags at patriotic sites.
Let’s make progress on the high cost of post-secondary education, or strengthen enforcement of anti-trust legislation, not “inflation.” Help rebuilding a war-ravaged Ukraine after a meaningful peace settlement strengthens our national interest and would not be “wasteful foreign aid.” Increase support for specific child health and education programs. Focus on specific infrastructure projects (rebuild that bridge before it falls down). Increase administrative support for processing asylum requests and a humane management of illegal immigration.
This is how government actually works. Piece-meal. A montage of successes without the declarations of unconditional victory that divide us.
I think that there are many ways in which we can achieve agreement without wasting time and effort on the chimera of “UNITY.”
When I show up at an open house for a bicycle lane on some road in town, lot's of people show up. I advocate for bike lanes as do many others. Some people show up to oppose them. Though it does happen that it seems "liberals" tend to want bike lanes and "conservatives" seem to oppose them, there's nothing about party in any of this. This happens everyday. At election time, candidates for Democrats and Republicans shop their positions. I don't want to confuse partisanship for a cause with partisanship for a party.
Regarding catnip for party partisanship like crime, immigration, etc., if we look at the results in Georgia, there's about an 8% point difference between Kemp and Walker. That's what we're working with. That 8% is the difference between those who are Republican voters, and those who are willing to vote for maga numbskulls.