If America suffers from a single disease that causes more detriment than anything else, it’s Ego fueled by Political Tribalism. If one were to take a pair of balloons and fill them with hot air, all that space inside could be a metaphor for the issues that remain unsolved because of the thin latex of surface-level issues that keep our country combative with itself. As much as someone might want to pretend in private that those two enormous balloons are full of real solutions as well, they’re often not; and that’s the sad reality of mainstream party politics that affects every level of Government from City Councils, Congressional Representatives, Governors Offices, and even agencies like Homeland Security or the new Shield to The Americas Program. Those big balloons often become a major problem for Politicians as they gain more status, and people start to see that the balloons aren’t all that’s full of hot air.
The United States used to be a place where people across the political spectrum could engage in civil discourse. If we are truly going to Make America Great Again, then both sides of the political aisle need a new approach, but it must be goal-oriented. The problem is that the mechanisms for achieving what are largely the same goals look so much different when presented by the different parties, and Congressional Gridlock- fueled by partisanship- takes over. Many votes in D.C. today tend to be the result of every single member of one party voting one way, and every single member of the other party voting the other, with a few line-crossers shifting legislation from purgatory into law.
When I ran for Congress, I met many people who had been “in the game” for quite a while. A recurring theme I heard about was this growing “enemies” phenomenon that has spread like a fungus over the last 30 years. Readers might be surprised to know that there was actually a time when Democrats and Republicans not only treated each other with respect, but also worked together to solve problems. Admittedly, that idea sounded foreign to me, as in my life, it has always seemed that many Democrats and Republicans won’t even share a table.
A former staffer for former United States Senator James Abdnor told me he attributed a big part of this growing Tribalism in Politics to the “Friday Night Flyaways” in Congress today. Back in the day, he said, many Congressional Representatives and their families would move to Washington, D.C. while in office, and on the weekends they would be around other Congressional Representatives at social events or work sessions- often across party lines, and there was a culture of working together for the betterment of the country. In the 1990s, more and more Congressional Representatives started catching the first flights out of Washington, D.C. on Fridays (some even missing a day of work on Thursday) to fly home to their districts and live in their echo chambers, while trying to drum up future votes and foster relationships with political donors and not their colleagues.
It was their egos that undid the honest, real representation of the people. Immortal concern for reelection and fear of being seen with the “wrong” Representatives from the other Political Party has made working together harder and harder for Elected Officials. That culture of working together for the betterment of the country shifted to “Winning” at any cost.
Big Inflatable Egos can be a danger to the country as well. In addition to those egos causing a politician to make hasty decisions or commentary that isn’t based in reality, they get cornered by their own words. Sometimes, the ability to walk back statements and plans in light of new information makes a leader competent, and saying really radical things to excite your base doesn’t always make that workable. Not only are big Inflatable Egos a problem for politicians, but when a politician’s spouse keeps them hidden at home, those Egos could be used against that politician and the entire country if a foreign adversary found out about them and used them for Political Extortion.
As we press into a new Political Cycle, at every level of Government Election, we should be looking at prospective leaders who show an interest in the big picture—candidates who are committed to civility and negotiation with colleagues and who can control their egos. While we may never be able to predict when Inflatable Egos may appear from our politicians’ closets at home, it’s important to remember that they’re easily deflated.
Those big egos that catch most media attention shouldn’t distract us from real issues in front of our eyes, otherwise we might spend all of our time talking about a pair of Inflatable Egos while civilizations are in jeopardy.
Collin Duprel is a guest columnist for the Rapid City Post. Opinions expressed may not necessarily represent the views of the Rapid City Post, its affiliates, or advertisers.
