Information Is Good Even When it is Partisan
Today, Republicans, tomorrow surely Democratics, need to assimilate quality information that hurts their party.
As some of you know I’ve been of “several minds” when it comes to the alleged “coop” attempt by Trump and his associates. As a long-time student of politics, I am hardened to the tendency to exaggerate the evils of one’s opponents. Regardless, though, of the motives (and one can assume Democrats want to highlight as much criminal intent of their opponents as can be found), information has been uncovered and made public that suggests a very serious attempt by the “Trump Team” to overthrow the results of an election that they knew had been won by President Biden.
Did Donald Trump actually believe he lost? Is that as simple a question as we seem to think? Are there not levels of belief and degrees of doubt? We know that Trump has always been inclined to see himself as a “winner” regardless of circumstances and thus vulnerable to loyalists who tell him what he wants to hear.
Trump could have been manipulated by his immediate associates who knew the truth, but themselves wanted the wealth and power that a second term would bring. We will never know for certain. But regardless of Trump’s mental state or the extent of his criminal liability, it is now clear that efforts by his associates to reverse the election results involved crimes and a high level of organized effort.
Whether it would have succeeded if a few more people had fallen in line is another question that will never have a clear answer, though, it now looks possible.
For these insights we can thank the ongoing investigations. Whether partisan motivated or not, they have been a positive contribution to our knowledge of the strengths and weaknesses of our political system and a wake-up call for people like me who have been skeptical of “Chicken Little” prophecies (sky is falling).
Here’s the difficult truth. Republicans as well as Democrats should be glad that we are going through with these investigations. (As Democrats should be glad that Hunter Biden is (or when) thoroughly investigated.) Our system is weakened by our ignorance and strengthened by our knowledge.
An adversarial politics searches for “dirt” and generally does its job. Neither side needs to “cheer” findings they did not hope for, but they should each be open to the knowledge they bring. In the long run we benefit. It is not that “politics” ever gets a full-service wash and detail. It is about power and money and ambition. Was it Truman who said, “if you don’t like the heat stay out of the kitchen.”
This the norm for a system we often say we respect—democracy.
So remain skeptical. It is a necessary response to a democratic system.
But don’t be closed-minded to the truth-value of information that challenges your set ideas. It’s a hard straddle.