It’s all over except the crying

Wednesday, November 05, 2008

By Judd Grossman

Andy Schwartz is a good sport. When I ran into him at the P.O. on the day after I endorsed his opponents for County Commission, I braced myself for a stern reproach, but he took my column with good humor. Andy is a class act.
Post-partisanship

As I’m writing this, I’m hoping that John McCain has pulled off a come-from-behind victory, so that my wife won’t be in a bad mood for the next four years. But since I don’t know the election outcome, this is the perfect opportunity to talk about how America should come together now that we’ve selected a new president.
It’s vital that our new president set aside partisan acrimony, work together with members of both parties to protect our country and to allow our economy to get back on track.

If McCain has won, I promise not to rub it in, and If Obama is the guy, I will be rooting 100 percent for him to succeed. I will assume that he has the best intentions. If I think he’s on the wrong track, I will try, through reasoned, respectful argument, to prove that I have a better plan.
Blame Game

It’s been disappointing to see both McCain and Obama join the mainstream media in turning President Bush into a punching bag. Bush deserves some blame, but also some praise. My concern is our political inclination to demonize our opponents. It seems that each former president is blamed not only for everything that happened on his watch, but also for everything that follows for at least another 20 years. If we can’t find some modicum of objectivity and recognize the good, or at least good intentions, in our political opponents, we will turn ourselves into hypocrites when we are forced to eventually adopt some of their ideas. After all, no one is wrong all the time.

The alternative is that with each shift in the balance of power, new leaders - operating from the extremes of the political spectrum - will force our country’s policies to swing from right to left as wildly as the stock market has recently been swinging up and down. I will be disappointed if, for the next four years, I keep hearing about “failed Bush policies.” If the only way to win in 2012 will be to accuse either Obama or McCain of being a complete failure, then cynicism and political expediency will have trumped truth and honesty.
80-Percent Theory

At a meeting in his Jackson office, I heard Senator Mike Enzi talk about his version of the “80-Percent Theory.“ He explained that Democrats and Republicans really only disagree on about 20 percent of the issues. He proposed that if politicians concentrate on nurturing the consensus they have on the other 80 percent, they will be able to accomplish a great deal without becoming mired in partisan gridlock.

Moving forward
Here is where I think conservatives and liberals can find that consensus:
Immigration Reform – Secure our borders, and create fair and reasonable mechanisms to allow legal immigration and enhance guest worker opportunities.
Trade –  Support free trade, but make sure that America has unfettered access to the markets of our trading partners.

Taxes – Let’s make our conservative and liberal arguments about where the appropriate tax level should be; let the majority implement it’s plan and monitor the results.

Supreme Court Justices -  Look for justices that are extremely qualified, no ideologues, no litmus tests, no activists.
Defense - Do what it takes to protect our country and our allies.

On the local level
We need to look for ways growth can help us meet our shared goals of a community with a variety of residential-, commercial-, industrial- and office-use opportunities. Make town more vital, but protect community character. Use new development to preserve open space and wildlife habitat. Let the good ideas and concerns of both sides help us shape policies that represent a broad majority of the community.

It’s time to get out of partisan mode, tone down the blame game, allow each other to admit our mistakes, and get to work to solve the challenges we face in our country and in our own backyard.

And thanks, Andy, for not egging my house on Halloween. PJH


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It’s all over except the crying | Planet JH News Article: General News

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