Anti-Partisanship
A New Approach to Politics

There are discernable reasons why corruption so easily seeps into politics. Greed and the lust for power certainly lie at the base of it. What makes it so commonplace, however, are the familiar dynamics of the two-party system. Once a party forges its own identity, it needs to defend just about everything its constituents do or say. It needs to constantly differentiate itself from the opposing party, and will take extreme measures to do so. Leaders rise among them who are valued for their ability to attack opponents, twist the truth, rally particular factions, instigate fear among the populace, and raise inordinate amounts of money. Skills at negotiation, cooperation and effective statesmanship come furtherr down the list.
    Unavoidably, every flirtation with corruption pushes the line of acceptable moral behavior in the wrong direction. This is especially true when it invests in the overall party. Members turn a blind eye on what happens around them. Gerrymandering voter districts, an inordinate amount of fund raisers, catering to lobbyists, quid-pro-quos, unwholesome political alliances, the support of disreputable people, only scratch the surface of political undercurrents that go on every day. Their significance, individually and accumulatively, is either covered up or downplayed. Likewise, scandals are either hidden by the party it is found in, or exploited by the other. Unscrupulous people and special interests that do not have the good of the people at heart, gain undue influence. If both parties benefit from questionable behavior, unholy alliances occur between opponents who would never agree otherwise.
    Undue partisanship places its own interests before that of the nation. While parties may come together to respond to an emergency, there are many emergencies that would be avoided if party interest were always subordinate to the nation's good.
    Does this mean that having a two party system is something to avoid?
    Not necessarily. Having three or more parties runs the risk of minority leadership, where some radical party might win by default because the majority of voters are divided over inconsequential reasons. Majority rule might become obsolete. Factionalism could increase to the point of chaos, with drastic social changes swinging like a pendulum.
    The problem is not having parties per se, but the partisanship that invariably comes with them. When Party A decides that the most expedient route to power is to police and scandalize Party B, instead of assuring the integrity of itself and its own members, corruption is guaranteed, and the people lose. When negative campaigning replaces a positive message, we end up choosing leaders by default, and suffer the consequences.

• We, the people, need to fortify ourselves as concerned citizens to change this system and hold our leaders accountable.
  
• We need to become knowledgeable about the issues, and not be swayed by the insane ranting of radio personalities. This means questioning what we hear to the bottom line, listening to both sides of a story, and refusing to follow people who pose as authorities, be they political, religious, or other. Democracy only works when people take the time to think for themselves.
  
• We need to choose our leaders for their intelligence, integrity and good will, and not because they remind us of our own foibles.
  
• We need leaders who represent all Americans, and not just the biases of specific regions.
  
• If we hope to change the evils of partisanship, we need to stop thinking like partisans ourselves, and look at the issues objectively. We need to bring reason back to politics, and widen the scope of our vision of the world.
  
• We need to stop being influenced by media bias, which can be more interested in a candidate's looks or charisma or marketing image than qualities of true leadership. The media thrives on scandal and contention, which is why they do their best to promote both.
  
• We need to criticize our leaders when they do wrong — loudly, clearly, and without surrender. When we do not, we are placing our stamp of approval on their behavior, and declaring that democracy fails because of our own neglect. Real patriotism demands more than flag waving and unquestioned platitudes. It means proving that people can indeed rule themselves in a wise and just fashion, and be a blessing rather than a curse to world we live in.

Anti-Partisanship means placing the good of the nation before the good of the party—not just now and then, or when it is expedient, but at every point and turn. It means divesting of the kind of misguided loyalty that places party first, sanctions corruption, and places factionalism ahead of ideals.
    Today's partisanship is so thick with rancor that one party cannot hear the kernel of truth that the other party puts forward. Rejection is automatic. When an issue is raised, the particulars and benefits are disregarded and replaced by how it can be opposed for political gain. If, for whatever reason, it cannot be rejected outright, another version is quickly formed to divide support.
    Although many think that the tension of partisanship makes for better policies, it is really a formula for disaster. It has prevented a timely response to energy independence, environmental pollution, equal rights, welfare reform, economic regulations, ethical reform, and a host of other issues. It has created a lack of scrutiny between branches of government that has led to ineffectual national and foreign policies and even war.
    Anti-Partisanship provides the means to bring integrity back into politics by allowing higher ideals to steer our course. It should be the cause of every patriot and the scourge of every scoundrel. The party that chooses it will be the party that reforms the nation according to the vision of our founders.

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