Letters to the Editor for Wednesday, January 27, 2010

How to bridge the partisan divide

The recent appointment of Randy Nelson to Lynchburg City Council has once again raised the issue of “partisan politics” and its place in local government. Lynchburg traditionally asks that candidates for local office present themselves as independents, and all insist that party affiliation has no place in the management of our city’s resources. Mr. Nelson has asserted that party politics has no place in city business. As chairman of the Lynchburg Democratic Committee, I can confirm that Mr. Nelson has not been involved with the local Democratic Party during my tenure.

Of course, the citizens quickly perceive the leanings of public officials, and they are soon tagged with a party label, whether they choose to be or not. Issues arise and voting blocs emerge. The losers of a vote blame it on partisanship; the great, evil force that is responsible for all of our country’s woes.

What is ignored is that people affiliate themselves with one party or another for philosophical reasons. Democrats and Republicans have very different worldviews, internalized perspectives that influence their approach to a problem and its possible resolution. Voters, most of whom do not spend a lot of time objectively familiarizing themselves with the issues of the day and the candidates’ positions, can use party affiliation as a shorthand on how likely they are to agree or disagree with a candidate.

Unfortunately, the two-party system that holds sway in America does not always allow for the variety of viewpoints that complicated issues evoke. Therefore, more and more people identify themselves as “independents” instead of aligning themselves with either of the dominant parties. Occasionally a third party will gain some muscle, only to fade away as their message is co-opted by one of the big two or their central issue is displaced by others in the public consciousness.

The independent voter these days decides the election. But since these voters are not actively involved in the day-to-day political process, this means that there is less input into the process, and allows it to be controlled by smaller numbers of people. This may lead to situations where the parties lose touch with the center, further alienating the voting public, who react by participating even less.

This cycle can be broken in two ways. Either by wholesale change to our political system or by increased public involvement in the two parties. I wouldn’t hold my breath waiting for Congress to install a parliamentary system, or for the Supreme Court to put restrictions on campaign finance, or for the dominant political parties to remove the barriers that make it harder for other political parties to emerge.

I would encourage those people who are so proudly “independent” to stop complaining so loudly about “partisanship” and take a look around. Ask themselves what they can do to bridge the divide in our communities, to re-create the center. Get off the fence and pull one side or the other to the middle. Maybe that way we can find common-ground solutions to the problems that face us today.
JOHN LAWRENCE
Lynchburg