We Need Politicians Who Compromise

Recently, my Youtube has been utterly dominated by political ads who espouse how candidate A or B will “fight” or “be strong” for me. Having come to a point of exhaustion with this constant messaging, I’ve drawn two conclusions. The first is that I’m ready for my ad-cycle to return to its regularly scheduled uselessness. The second is that I’m not sure I want a politician who is “strong” leading me right now, at least, not with the kind of strength they seem to advertise.

There have been three shutdowns of the federal government in the past 11 years. Before that, there had not been a shutdown in nearly 17 years. To me, that represents a startling display of stubbornness born from a bloated bureaucracy. More and more, it seems as though this sort of gridlock within government institutions arises from a refusal to back down. Using parliamentary procedure rather than rhetoric to progress legislation feels like the norm. Our representatives are supposed to advocate for our values — not be unyielding, idealistic brick walls.

It is time to return to a compromise-focused mode of progress. The brief, overarching history of institutional compromise is marked by both triumph and tragedy. Many would nominate the Constitution of the U.S. as a shining example of what such bargaining can achieve, and for the most part, I would agree. An ability to find middle-ground set up what still is one of the strongest governments in the world. However, it is imperative not to ignore the compromises that were racist, classist or otherwise reprehensible, such as the premise of the three-fifths compromise or the framework of the electoral college.

Compromise, throughout the ages, has been messy. It’s not an easy thing to achieve. But what we have now is messier. Sticking as hard and fast to our ideals as we do, as we are encouraged to lead to an increased sense of partisanship, a term I have come to fear.

I don’t want a politician who is going to fight. I  don’t even want a politician who is willing to look across the aisle. I want a representative who doesn’t care about the aisle, one who is truly willing to listen to the concerns of both sides and find legislation that can serve as a meaningful way forward that incorporates the ideals of both sides. Understanding how we can sacrifice certain aspects of our ideologies in order to peacefully coexist and find a way forward is important.

I’m sick and tired of hard-nosed, unyielding leaders in positions of power. It’s time to elect individuals who are willing to bend, willing to understand that their world-view is not the only “right” way. Right and wrong are relative. The legislation of our nation ought to reflect that. And all this talk of fighting for right and wrong is no longer reflective of progress. It’s reflective of civil strife, public unease, and widespread distrust.

I’ll vote for the next person who tells me that they’re willing to show compassion for the other side — but I fear I might have to wait a while for that.