On November 3: Vote to Bring Compromise Back to Government
By Gerald Poissant, Fort Myers
The United States is stalled right now because our political system has increasingly lost its capacity for compromise. According to Nate Silver’s Silver Bulletin (an average of 20 polls weighted for historical accuracy), President Trump’s net approval rating stood at -22.7 as of September 30. With such a negative approval rating, why does the Republican controlled Congress support this Administration so completely?
Republicans such as Liz Cheney, Adam Kinsinger and others who have dared to disagree with the President have been ousted or abandoned by their party. More recently, three-term Texas Senator John Cornyn lost his Republican primary to Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, whom President Trump supported. Paxton had previously been impeached by his own party (but was later acquitted by the Texas Senate).
These divisions point to a larger problem in American politics: too many elected officials fear primary challenges more than voters from the opposing party.
Gerrymandering contributes to that problem. Both Republicans and Democrats have drawn district boundaries designed to give their party an electoral advantage. When districts become overwhelmingly Republican or Democratic, the decisive contest can shift from the general election to the party primary. That can reward candidates who appeal primarily to the most committed voters in their own party rather than to the broader electorate.
For a democracy to flourish, people need to respect each other. Your neighbor may have a different political perspective than you, but that does not make him your enemy. In a democracy, everyone has a voice and deserves respect. Debate, negotiation, and compromise lead to moderate legislative solutions that satisfy the largest number of citizens. Compromise is the lubricant that makes democracy work.
If there is one thing that would restore our country to political health, it is independent, impartial redistricting. If all voting districts are more evenly balanced, candidates will be chosen and people elected to serve their constituents rather than a party. When gerrymandering is used to create “safe” voting districts for a political party, that is not democracy at work; it is demagoguery. It is the moral equivalent of stuffing the ballot box to get your way.
On November 3, we have the most fundamental tool democracy gives us: our vote. Elections determine not only who holds office, but what kind of political behavior we reward. Voters can choose representatives who are willing to listen, debate ideas openly, respect people with whom they disagree, and work across differences when compromise serves their constituents.
The goal should not be a government in which everyone agrees. That has never been democracy. The goal is a government in which disagreement does not make us enemies—where representatives can argue passionately, negotiate honestly, compromise when necessary, and still respect one another when the debate is over.
That kind of government begins with the people we send there. Vote on November 3. It’s critical.
On November 3: Vote to Bring Compromise Back to Government
By Gerald Poissant, Fort Myers
The United States is stalled right now because our political system has increasingly lost its capacity for compromise. According to Nate Silver’s Silver Bulletin (an average of 20 polls weighted for historical accuracy), President Trump’s net approval rating stood at -22.7 as of September 30. With such a negative approval rating, why does the Republican controlled Congress support this Administration so completely?
Republicans such as Liz Cheney, Adam Kinsinger and others who have dared to disagree with the President have been ousted or abandoned by their party. More recently, three-term Texas Senator John Cornyn lost his Republican primary to Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, whom President Trump supported. Paxton had previously been impeached by his own party (but was later acquitted by the Texas Senate).
These divisions point to a larger problem in American politics: too many elected officials fear primary challenges more than voters from the opposing party.
Gerrymandering contributes to that problem. Both Republicans and Democrats have drawn district boundaries designed to give their party an electoral advantage. When districts become overwhelmingly Republican or Democratic, the decisive contest can shift from the general election to the party primary. That can reward candidates who appeal primarily to the most committed voters in their own party rather than to the broader electorate.
For a democracy to flourish, people need to respect each other. Your neighbor may have a different political perspective than you, but that does not make him your enemy. In a democracy, everyone has a voice and deserves respect. Debate, negotiation, and compromise lead to moderate legislative solutions that satisfy the largest number of citizens. Compromise is the lubricant that makes democracy work.
If there is one thing that would restore our country to political health, it is independent, impartial redistricting. If all voting districts are more evenly balanced, candidates will be chosen and people elected to serve their constituents rather than a party. When gerrymandering is used to create “safe” voting districts for a political party, that is not democracy at work; it is demagoguery. It is the moral equivalent of stuffing the ballot box to get your way.
On November 3, we have the most fundamental tool democracy gives us: our vote. Elections determine not only who holds office, but what kind of political behavior we reward. Voters can choose representatives who are willing to listen, debate ideas openly, respect people with whom they disagree, and work across differences when compromise serves their constituents.
The goal should not be a government in which everyone agrees. That has never been democracy. The goal is a government in which disagreement does not make us enemies—where representatives can argue passionately, negotiate honestly, compromise when necessary, and still respect one another when the debate is over.
That kind of government begins with the people we send there. Vote on November 3. It’s critical.
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