It's Time to Admit Things Are Not OK
The political arena is often referred to as a “blood sport.” It’s tough. Not for the faint of heart and unfortunately, at times, it can get ugly. But that’s no excuse for indecency. When the metaphor becomes literal, it’s time to step back, take off our partisan hats, and admit some things are just not OK.
Assaulting a reporter for asking a policy question you didn’t like. Not OK. Threatening to shoot your political opponent during an argument in the Texas State House. Not OK. Shoving a prime minister out of the way to be front and center for a photograph. Also not OK.
The freedom to pursue and respectfully debate differing viewpoints in the marketplace of ideas is part of what makes America great. However, these latest incidents are just examples of civility gone awry and have revealed too many Americans’ - and to call out my own party, too many Republicans’ - willingness to deprioritize basic human decency.
Given Donald Trump’s own history of acting a fool, it’s easy to blame him for today’s overly hostile political climate. But let’s be honest. This didn’t just suddenly start when Trump declared his candidacy for president. Trump isn’t the cause. The slow drip of moral decay has been going on for decades. He’s the result, a by-product of a much larger cultural trend of normalizing and even profiteering off of behaving badly.
As a conservative, I believe since the ‘60s and '70s there’s been a breakdown of a traditional value system that places an emphasis on personal morality and accountability. More recently, the proliferation of reality TV shows has placed a premium on outrageous, oftentimes downright ignorant behavior. From audiences egging on talk-show-guest fights screaming, “Jerry, Jerry, Jerry,” in the ‘90s, to the drunken escapades of Millennials sharing a shore house, to the catfights of housewives, Americans have been consuming this debauchery for years under the guise of entertainment. It’s all fun and games until that “reality TV show” comes to 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue.
After years of mainstreaming incivility, it should be no surprise when said bad behavior permeates politics. That combined with a political system that’s increasingly partisan has led both politicians and citizens to look the other way, to stomach these actions in order to support the candidate under their preferred party on the ballot. Greg Gianforte was accused of body-slamming a reporter the night before his election (which he won), and the incident was met largely with silence or jokes from members of his party. And in the case of Trump, not only did the Republican electorate resort to cultish tribalism to defend him, there was self-interest at play too: Many people were fed up with the status quo, and because he promised to upend Washington to better serve "the people," they gave him a pass on what offended them in hopes that he would fix what affects them.
To be fair, the coarsening of our political discourse cuts across party lines - liberal college students across the country, for instance, have set things ablaze and turned to violence in protest of opposing viewpoints. This is absolutely unacceptable too. But since Republicans are in charge, they are in a position to either hold their own accountable and set an example, or continue to be enablers of this current political dysfunction. If a Republican does something wrong - whether it’s a crude “joke” or a physical assault - condemn him. Don’t make excuses. Don’t victim-shame the accuser.
Republicans have to stop with the “whataboutism,” hypocritically rationalizing behaviors we would never stand for if it occurred on the other side of the political aisle. The “what about Hillary or Obama” mantra is an intellectually dishonest argument. Imagine if Hillary Clinton said she wished she could punch protesters at her rallies? Or if President Barack Obama mocked a reporter with a disability? The GOP would have a conniption.
The “liberals do it, why can’t we” mind-set is not only juvenile, it lays the foundation for becoming what you despise. For example, outrage on the right over Madonna’s comments about blowing up the White House but silence when Ted Nugent calls Obama a piece of shit and tells him to “suck on his machine gun” is the type of cafeteria conservatism that cedes all moral authority to point out future wrongdoing. As the godfather of modern conservatism, William F. Buckley once said, “A conservative is someone who stands athwart history, yelling Stop, when no one else is inclined to do so... ”
Where are those thought leaders within the party today? They are few and far between. The “Never Trump” Republicans have tried their best to hold Trump accountable for his transgressions, to say right and wrong still matter, but they were (and still are) outnumbered by voters willing to rationalize indecency to ride the Trump Train and drain the swamp, which he has yet to do. The blurring of what constitutes basic human decency hinders the success of a civilized society.
Have we become irreparably divided as a nation? No. I still believe the inherent goodness of the American spirit that binds us together will prevail. Trump didn’t create our current polarizing political climate, but with his ad hominem attacks on both Democrats and the press, he signals to those who employ similar crudeness and disrespect that their actions will be accepted and possibly even rewarded. This challenges us a society. If we can no longer look to the president of the United States to set the leadership example, then it’s up to the American people to say enough is enough and demand better from not only our elected officials but from each other.
This week, Kathy Griffin tweeted a vile staged photo of a mock beheading of the president of the United States and was met by swift bipartisan condemnation. That was a good start. Now let’s see if Republicans have the courage to do the same when it comes to calling out one of their own.
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