If Yankees can vote GOP, Texans can go for a Democrat
New York Democrats are panicking as polling shows the election is more competitive than expected, and Texas Republicans
are campaigning in GOP strongholds, a sign they are worried too.
These are welcome signs that single-party dominance is fading, which we should all celebrate. If competition is good for businesses, athletes and animal breeding, it’s good for politics too. If Yankees can vote for the GOP, Texans can cast a ballot for a Democrat in 2022.
Or better yet, why don’t we all split our tickets and vote for candidates rather than a party?
I know many will struggle since their identity is tied to party affiliation. Many of you have written that you’d rather have an alleged criminal as attorney general than a Democrat of any kind. Republicans regularly tell me they’d vote for a Democrat if only they were more Republican.
Brand loyalty is powerful but can make companies and political parties sloppy. Bluebell Ice Cream’s cleanliness problems a few years ago come to mind, and the scandals in New York’s Democratic Party and among Texas’ Republicans are selfevident.
Overcoming tribalism is hard. Once we have tied our identity to a group, humans will “judge situations based on group
interests rather than objective reality,” researchers at Oklahoma State University report.
“Partisans frequently hold radically different interpretations of factual events,” the authors explained. “The problem is not that people do not have information, but that they interpret that information in line with their pre-existing views. The simple notion of whether or not something is good news or bad news, helpful or hurtful, etc. depends on whether it aligns with the person’s social identity rather than whether it is, in reality, good or bad.”
People with different viewpoints debating an issue can help overcome this bias. But productive debate relies on civility, something sorely lacking. Once we declare that people with different views are dangerous radicals intent on destroying our society, it’s hard to sit down with them for a coffee.
Too many Americans have forgotten that democracy isn’t about dominance but compromise. Elections are not about silencing those with whom we disagree; voting is intended to give everyone a voice.
The American voter shoulders much of the blame. Most become bored talking about the mundane work of government operations or the complicated debates over proper regulation. In an era of limitless entertainment, politicians must compete for voters’ attention.
Pick through any politician’s speeches, tweets and statements, and you’ll find hyperbole, half-truths, and some downright lies. Every election season, columnists like me decry how politicians have lost so much self-respect they’ll say anything to get re-elected. It’s you, the voter, they are trying to please.
Outrageous declarations, negative advertisements and false promises are the table stakes in the current Trumpian era. Vilifying your opponents and lying about their character or policy positions is the opening bet.
Secret political action committees with names like “Coulda Been Worse” and “No, It Couldn’t” attack Gov. Greg Abbott with shocking ads. The equally shadowy Defend Texas Liberty PAC puts up billboards mocking Democratic candidate Beto O’Rourke.
If you find the meaning of “Remember the Alamo. Vote No for Beto” confusing, think about his nickname’s origin and who won the battle. Hear the dog whistle now?
All this hate Sturm and Drang riles up party fundamentalists but leaves our democracy distressed. A person can be a Republican or a Democrat, or an independent and still be a patriotic American.
So, how should we decide who deserves our ballot?
In the old days, we might judge a candidate’s character, not what their opponent says about them but based on how they’ve lived: Are they honest? Do they have a history of shoveling bull pucky?
We might ask about (gasp) public policy: What do they think are the government’s responsibilities? How will they manage taxpayer money and government debt?
These criteria drive my columns, where I focus on incumbents asking voters to extend their contracts. What have they done, and what didn’t they do?
The goal is to vote for the person who will do best by us, who will represent our interests and improve our lives. Neither party has a monopoly on people with these qualities.
I have a radical proposition for you. The ballot is very long, so this should be easy. Vote for at least one person who is not in your party but would do a good job. Our nation will do better with a little less tribalism and more civil discourse.