It’s
become a constant refrain: lamenting the polarized nature of our political
climate. This inability of the parties
to effectively collaborate or reconcile differences in policy matters fosters a
deep frustration and lack of confidence in government. And as politicians themselves become
dissatisfied with heavy demands coupled with discouraging results, they may be
reluctant to remain in office.
When
Senator Olympia Snowe, a three term Republican from Maine, recently announced
her intent not to run for reelection, she helped highlight this problem of
polarization, a major factor in her decision.
"I do find it frustrating," she said, "that an atmosphere
of polarization and 'my way or the highway' ideologies has become pervasive in
campaigns and in our governing institutions." Furthermore, she added that this kind of
party politics was unlikely to change in the near future. Snowe stated that at
this point in her political career, she was unprepared to spend a fourth term,
or six more years in the Senate. According
to The New York Times, as a moderate,
Snowe had a history of “crossing the aisle” and both agreeing and disagreeing
with Republicans and Democrats alike.Snowe
also pointed to the ideals of the founding fathers in her MSNBC interview with
Andrea Mitchell. She declared that their
visions of “talking to people with whom you disagree” and “consensus building”
are critical to problem solving. To
reject this process of communication and compromise, she feels, would be “at
the expense of the country and the issues that we need to address to put us
back on track.” Polarization can thus
distract from the real goal of policy making, to address the public good.
Similarly,
this New Yorker article indicates how
the Republican Party’s focus on radical candidates and contentious issues
confuse what the party stands for.
According to the polls, in the past ten years, the percentage of
Republicans describing themselves as “conservatives” has increased from 62% of
the Republican party to 71%, while the percentage describing themselves as
“moderates” has declined from 31% to 23%, leaving only a tiny percentage
describing themselves as “liberal.” The
article posits that while politicians used to be considered “rational people
who only cared about winning office” and focused on “the median voter,” recent Republican
candidates like Rick Santorum are “activists” that focus on “ideology” and
“social issues.” This trend in
ideological conservatism must lead other Republicans to question their own place
in the party. Jeb Bush, for instance, criticized
the Republican candidates for “appealing to people’s fears and emotion.” His
statement “I used to be a conservative,” begs the question, what does it mean
to be a conservative? And within that umbrella, can moderate Republicans like
Olympia Snowe survive?
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