One of the things on my gratitude list for Thanksgiving was an indication that our political battles may ease just a bit.
It’s time to put party politics aside for the good of the United States. We need our elected officials to start serving us, working to heal a divided nation and learning, once again, how to compromise to serve a higher purpose.
We must hold our leaders accountable for any divisive or angry rhetoric, no matter their party. We must point it out and demand better.
People came out on Nov. 8 to vote because they were worried about the fate of our democracy. Now they feel hopeful for better times.
Concerns about the future of our democracy rivaled the economy and abortion as a driving force for many voters — a sign that the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection and the response to it remain fresh in their minds.
On a positive note, voters expressed high confidence in the election process. In addition, Americans’ innate optimism about their nation has grown since the midterms. People feel much better about the future, with the nation staying together as one rather than getting torn asunder.
Joanna Lydgate, president of State United Democracy Center, a bipartisan election protection group, said, “To me, voters clearly understood the stakes. They refused to allow election deniers to take their votes away. They said ‘no’ to those lies and the election was just a strong validation of the fact that democracy in America is alive and well.”
Millions of American voters showed they had been paying attention, rejecting fanatics and attention-seekers such as the Oath Keepers, QAnon and others.
They voted to preserve the Union, and they wanted decency and integrity from officeholders. They signaled that they had heard the dark lies but rejected them and let common sense rule the day.
Optimism has let us respond in the past when called to a great purpose. It helped us put a man on the moon and enabled us to confront terrorism, face the threat of nuclear obliteration, financial panic and much more. We’ve always believed that our best days are yet to come.
This optimism helps produce leaders when we need them most.
I was heartened by what we saw at the midterm election, when American voters returned sanity to a scary political atmosphere.
Voters expressed high confidence in the election process. An Associated Press poll of those exiting the voting booth found that 44% said that the future of democracy was one of the primary voting considerations.
People showed that they were fed up with the far-right crowd having hijacked the Republican Party for the last 10 years or so. They were disgusted with the juvenile behavior of some officeholders. They also were pleasantly surprised by the statesman-like leadership shown by Wyoming Republican Rep. Liz Cheney, Utah Republican Sen. Mitt Romney and Illinois Republican Sen. Adam Kinzinger, to name a few.
They were horrified by the invasion of the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, intended to prevent lawmakers from certifying the Electoral College results so that Donald Trump could stay in office illegally. The invaders also allegedly planned to physically harm Senators, Congressmen and hang Vice President Mike Pence that day.
The heavily predicted Red Wave never happened. So on one hand, we may be creating a more cooperative Congress and a more unified nation despite our policy differences. Now all eyes will be on the Republican-controlled House of Representatives.
On the other hand, Kentucky Republican Rep. James Comer, ranking member on the House Oversight Committee, already has said Joe Biden has been swayed by foreign dollars and that the representative intends to investigate him. Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, ranking member of the House Judiciary Committee, will aid Comer in the investigation.
“It is time to put our elected officials on notice and remind them they do not represent their party or the President. Once elected they represent the American people and their loyalty should be to the country, and we the people are the country,” James O. Burns wrote in the San Angelo Standard-Times newspaper.
Still, my optimism level has risen higher than I ever expected it and many of you have said the same thing. We had quietly drifted away from the dialogue we needed — but now we’re almost back. The two-party system benefits when both sides cooperate and compromise with each other.
Our sense of optimism has been tested many times. But fortunately, we’ve had strong leaders who had the ability and willingness to lead Americans by example.
President Abraham Lincoln gave important, encouraging speeches both on and off the Civil War battlefields, ultimately keeping the nation as one entity.
President Franklin Roosevelt’s fireside chats assured Americans that the nation could get through bad times.
President Dwight Eisenhower helped the post-World War II United States to become a world leader.
President John Kennedy brought about a new period of American influence, telling us we could “pay any price and bear any burden.” He also insisted the United States could land a man on the moon before the 1960s ended. And we did.
“The blame game is not far off, though,” said Bruce Anderson, a writer for The Ledger in Lakeland, Florida. “The campaigns for the 2024 elections have already started and fingers will be pointed and accusations launched. But for this brief moment, let’s judge our political leadership not by what they say, but what they do.
“In this case, include a tip of the hat to the quality of the system that despite a poisonous reek of the political culture, still attracts enough of the right people to seek elective office.”
Jim Martin can be reached at jimmartinesq@gmail.com
