For the Love of Politics
Let us not ask what is wrong with the “other”, but what is right, and together take the next step to helping all of us love politics!
Rich Vial is a former Oregon State Legislator, former Deputy Secretary of State and founder of the law firm Vial-Fotheringham, LLC. He provided legal assistance to hundreds of Homeowner Associations throughout the West for four decades and has always had a passion for how communities organize and govern effectively.
With advance apologies, this is a bit of a personal essay. Recent events and experiences have caused much reflection about where I am politically.
Recently we bought a ranch in south central Oregon in northern Lake County. We have found ourselves immediately accepted by this group of about 1000 or so farmers, retirees and urban refugees with a sense of community that reminds us of our little berg of Scholls back in Washington County, only smaller. One thing however is strikingly different: the level of disillusion with politics. In this slice of Oregon, nearly as close to Sacramento and Carson City as it is to Salem, distance appears to have made the unsatisfaction grow stronger. Relatively few here ever bother to participate in civic affairs, even to the level of casting a vote.
In this moment of undeniable unrest, access to the ballot is certainly a cause de jour, and one that gives both of the political parties ammunition against one another – each firing away with claims of superiority when it comes to managing societal affairs. But, given my own status among the third of Oregonians registered to vote though no longer affiliate with a party, and, relatedly, my increasing association with my neighbors when it comes to doubting the merits of a vote destined to not make a difference, it seems that we should ask more than how we ought to vote – we need to ask the bigger question of what is so wrong that we are not getting the civic engagement that makes for a strong society.
A phrase that we don’t hear often today is “I love politics”. And yet, I really do. Perhaps that is because I know that “politics” is simply the process of electing leadership and giving them the tools to effectively debate social policies that allow us to live happy and productive lives. I love the fact that we have a system and institutions that provide each of us with a means of input into the decisions that affect our lives. And, while I recognize that it is not a perfect system, I am very grateful for the freedom that it has afforded me and my family. That I also feel that changes are necessary does not diminish the affection that I have for that system.
Interestingly, the two-party identity in the US has evolved over time to one where the blue team is the team of change and the red team is the team of protecting the status quo. These oversimplifications and the use of words like conservative and liberal do nothing other than give the parties a way to suggest a pure black and white world where there is only one right and one wrong. The idea of politics as a means for debate has been reduced to a competition over seats, not ideas. This is one of the very unique features of a strictly two party system. And it is one of the reasons that those two parties so vehemently resist the efforts to change our democracy with proposals such as open primaries, etc.
It seems to be simple common sense that we would accept a move toward a system that embraces both constancy and change. We absolutely don’t want to throw the baby out with the bath water, but, from time to time, change the water we must.
I recognize that we are talking about those in power giving up some of that power, and that being a difficult thing to bring about. I confess that part of the desire to hold elected or deliberative appointed office is the recognition that it affords one the opportunity to shape policy that may benefit oneself or family, but most politicians I believe really try to work from a place of service to community generally rather than simply looking for selfish advantage. Therefore, power is something that becomes more powerful when shared, and given to others. Shared power doesn’t work when two sides are relentlessly, and myopically fighting over it.
My neighbors in Lake County don’t see Oregon’s elected officials asking each other “what’s right about the other side.” Instead, they see our public servants engaging in whatever steps are necessary to hang on to the “majority”, or to insure that as a minority they interfere with the processes that might allow the majority to score a “win.”
When my neighbors ask me as a former legislator what to do, it is hard to respond. Simply voting for the party line is often a default. But, as I tell them, I agree with the “left” that wants to help those less fortunate and I agree with the “right” that wants to encourage responsible individuals. In the end, I usually answer with the observation that I was a Republican most of my life primarily because I felt that the party focused on the idea that the individual should be celebrated and respected as the foundation of a strong society. But in today’s environment of the two parties working tirelessly to capture the narrative in a way to distinguish itself from the “other”, rather than to engage in the debate so as to arrive at the best solution, it is hard for me to really feel an affinity for either.
In my personal life, I am finding that it is hard work to let go of those things that prevent true integrity in my relationships – serving for the right reasons, loving neighbors unconditionally, avoiding the strong urge to keep track of who “owes” you what. It’s easier to build up ideological walls to block friendships than it is to let certain things go under the bridge in the name of building deeper relationships than ones grounded in ideology. Letting go of anger, fear and the need for “justice” is not an easy task. The old saying that the mind divides and the heart unites reminds me constantly of the need to look for a solution born of love.
So, as I think about what to tell my neighbors about the state of our democracy, I come back to my love of politics. The system that we have had for nearly two centuries has given us two parties that prepared and developed leaders, sharpened debate on important social issues, and provided expectations for the transfer of power that has made us a nation of relative stability and consistency in a world where change for many has meant bloodshed and misery. I am grateful for that. I want to respect and celebrate it, while at the same time finding ways to improve the system so that more of us will come to love the experience of living in a civil society where we have a political voice.
I don’t believe that opening our processes to all voters regardless of party will weaken our present system. I certainly don’t think that political parties will cease to exist and that we will lose their benefits to society simply by allowing those who do not belong to one of the parties to have an equal opportunity to participate.
This is Oregon. Why not continue our tradition of finding new and unique paths in our quest for a place where we can thrive as individuals and families. Let us not ask what is wrong with the “other”, but what is right, and together take the next step to helping all of us love politics!