This is one of those things that’s been in my head for a while and needs to come out. This kind of feeling is what led to my initial post on the Iraq War, of which I’m very proud. This is something I’ve been passionate about for decades, and as the political polarization of this country worsens, I just need to say my peace. I suppose it is a rant, but it’s also socially relevant.
I’m deeply concerned about the politicization of issues that are not political, and the tendency for citizens to vote for the political party an individual identifies with, utterly regardless of who the candidate is. I’ve said since my 20s that it doesn’t really matter who the candidate is, for most Americans if they are a Republican they will vote for the Republican candidate, and if they are a Democrat they will vote for the Democratic candidate. I’ve gone to extremes in my example–if Gandhi were running in an opposing party, and Hitler were running in ours, we would most likely vote for Hitler. That may sound ridiculous, but take a few moments and really think about what it would take for you to vote for a national candidate for office that was in the party opposite your own. Try to remember the last time you did it.
My political stance has developed and evolved over the course of my life. I take my stance from a gentlemen I respect, a previous prophet and president of the church to which I belong. In an interview he said “… you can’t divorce private behavior from public leadership. I don’t think it is asking too much of any public officer to stand tall, be a model before the people, not only in ordinary aspects of leadership, but in the manner in which he conducts himself.” When asked how he voted he said: “I voted for men and not for party.” When asked if he’s voted for men in both political parties his response was, “yes sir.” This is my view on how we should all approach a candidate.
Let me use an historical example to strengthen my point: Alexander Hamilton endorsed Thomas Jefferson for President instead of Aaron Burr in the 1800 election, even though Burr was a member of his party and Jefferson was a long-time political opponent. He backed Jefferson because he felt he was more “trustworthy” than Burr.
It is the most extreme members of political parties that are the most vocal, and can sometimes have the most influence. This is articulated well in the nonpartisan documentary Patriocracy and I highly recommend it. Extremists on both sides of the political spectrum are dangerous, and in my view extremists are the problem. Extremism has led to the downfall of empires. Too far to the political left and you get communism, and Stalin. Too far to the right and you get fascism, and Hitler.
One of my favorite moments in recent political history occurred during the Obama-McCain presidential election of 2008. At a McCain rally one of his supporters had the microphone and said they were scared of Obama being elected because he was associated with terrorists, and another supporter said “he is an Arab.” McCain pulled the mic right out of her hand and corrected her. Here is a link to that event. After McCain died, Obama spoke at his funeral at the family’s request. These are examples of the kind of integrity I admire.
Let’s look at some issues over the past 30 years, starting with Sesame Street. Both major political parties have had problems with Sesame Street. In the last 10 years conservatives have labeled it “liberal indoctrination”, and liberals have bashed it for affirming that “Bert and Ernie are not gay.” This is a show that has stood for wholesome entertainment alongside such classics as Mr. Rogers’ Neighborhood since the 60’s. It’s essential to become aware of how loyalty to a party can unduly bias one’s opinion, even on things that are irrelevant to politics.
Climate change, which used to be called global warming, is another prime example. This issue has been discussed since at least the 1990’s, and consider the implications: the weather was politicized. The weather! Can anything be more in the realm of highly trained scientists and not political parties? Yet it happened–those who championed it and those who denied it tended to fall along party lines. I still don’t understand how this divide could have happened, yet it did. Again, political parties can unduly influence us, even with issues that are not inherently political.
More recent examples are plentiful, and I’ll choose the most glaring one: the COVID-19 pandemic. A plague was politicized. Certainly, 2020 was a Presidential election year and everything tends to be politicized in those years. Emotions tend to run high, but take a moment and reflect on what the political left and right tended to do. One side wanted us quarantined, scared at the prospect of death, while the other wanted us out in public mingling and have us more worried about an infringement on our ‘freedom’. Both political parties exercised undue partisan influence on public opinion instead of people thinking for themselves, and it led to deep divisions at a time when we should have been coming together.
Do I support belonging to a political party? Yes. What I do not support is blind loyalty. I think we should give serious consideration to instead prioritize first the character of the candidate and second issues they say they support. I realize I am asking you, the reader, to take the road less traveled by doing so. Most people like to be reductionist: we want things black or white, good or bad, and no in-between. Our party are “the good guys”, their party are “the bad guys.” Unfortunately that is not reality.
I’ve done what I can to try to present this article neutrally. Let us keep in mind there was a long period of time when we could talk to each other and look for areas of unity rather than division. Let us promote peace, courtesy and respect without fearing we all have to think the same.