We need to be honest with ourselves: maybe having a nice Thanksgiving with our relatives isn’t worth it. Your conservative grandparents sit down at the table with your liberal cousins. Fighting ensues.
Numerous polls have shown that Americans are becoming increasingly politically polarized. A 2019 study even found 40% of respondents believed members of opposing political parties were “downright evil.”
This might be troubling news, especially because many Americans are particularly fond of bipartisanship. An overwhelming majority of Americans even say they respect politicians more when they seek bipartisan support for a bill, according to a Morning Consult poll.
Of course, polls also say Americans prefer when their political opponents have to compromise.
But enough polls! My fellow Americans, I urge you to trust your instincts!
Be honest with yourselves: you only care about compromise and bipartisanship in theory. In practice, well, sometimes you just know deep down that your distant relatives from Texas are downright evil.
In all seriousness, we really should abandon this overly-sentimental notion of bipartisanship. The agendas of the Democratic and Republican parties are mutually exclusive. If you’re someone who cares deeply about the problems our country is facing, you’re not going to solve them by compromising.
Take climate change, for example. Climate change is the most serious problem of our time. This is not up for debate. But Republicans, in their insufferable stubbornness, have long debated the issue anyway. Back in 2015, Sen. James Inhofe (R-OK) threw a snowball on the Senate floor in order to “prove” global warming was a hoax. He’s still a senator until 2026.
Would you have Democrats try to compromise on climate change with people who seem to pride themselves on not understanding science?
Or take issues such as the rights of transgender individuals. In 2017, Donald Trump banned trans people from serving in the military, only for Joe Biden to reverse this policy four years later. It’s unthinkable to even talk about compromising over the equal rights of others.
And America has been fighting over the Roe v. Wade U.S. Supreme Court case for decades. If you know of an argument that will convince anyone to change their minds about abortion, I’d love to hear it.
Bipartisanship is looking increasingly impossible, but this shouldn’t be looked upon as a bad thing. As soon as we abandon trying to hold hands, the sooner we can begin making change.
The Democrats need to understand this message most of all. Republicans have long ago figured out that if you want to achieve your political goals, bipartisanship is a sure-fire way to fail.
In 2017, the GOP wanted to implement massive tax cuts on corporations and the wealthy, and they did it. Zero Democrats in the Senate voted for the tax cuts, but they passed anyway. Do you think Mitch McConnell lost any sleep that night thinking about how upset Chuck Schumer must be?
Joe Biden ran on a platform of “unity,” and that’s a big reason why so much of his agenda is floundering. In March, the Democrats failed to raise the minimum wage for the sake of “unity.” Now, the $3.5 trillion reconciliation bill is stalling in the Senate, and there have even been talks that provisions like free community college will be cut. This is all because Democrats continue to compromise.
Meanwhile, the bill has support from 62% of Americans.
Weak-willed Democrats like Joe Biden may fear polarization, but they have to face the political reality. The majority of Americans favor the Democratic party’s agenda, if only they can muster up the spine to get it done.
Politics is all about power, and the Democrats have it. They have wasted it many times before—who can forget the many compromises that worsened the Affordable Care Act— but they have the chance to make up for it.
To members of the Democratic party, I urge you to listen to your constituents. They want the changes you have promised them. If you can get it done without Republican support, I promise you they will not care.
To the Republican reader: does it bother you that zero Democrats voted for the confirmation of Amy Coney Barrett, or the 2017 tax cuts? I seriously doubt it.
Polarization is good, actually. And the Thanksgiving turkey tastes just as good whether or not your Republican uncle is sharing it with you.
Jared Quigg (he/him) is a sophomore studying journalism and political science.
