The current campaign season is one of the most toxic I can
remember in my 55 years of paying attention. This has not happened over-night. Campaigns
at all levels have been slowly becoming more negative for at least the past
decade. However, since 2014, it appears candidates are in a competition not to
win the election but rather to see who or which party can sling the most mud
and create the widest gap between themselves and facts. Combined with the
extreme negative impact of partisanship on our society, this is not healthy for
our country, our state, our counties, or our cities. If this is allowed to
continue, will we damage our political process beyond repair?
I’d like to borrow a song title penned by John Lennon;
“Imagine”.
Just imagine:
Imagine if voters were not perceived as gullible by those
sponsoring campaign ads
Imagine if voters did not “buy” what campaigns, PAC’s and
Super PAC’s were currently “selling”
Imagine if media and journalists were unbiased and
“reported” rather than present opinion and commentary as fact
Imagine if fact-checking was not necessary
Imagine if truth and personal integrity were the
cornerstones of how candidates were judged
Imagine country, state, county, city, and all constituents,
not political party, being the most important consideration of all candidates
and elected officials
Imagine if voters had facts readily available on which to
base decisions
Imagine if candidates could move beyond talking-points
Imagine if candidates stressed what they would do, change, and
improve instead of what their opponent(s) did or will do wrong
Imagine if campaigns, candidate debates, and the act of
governing were respectful discussions of the issues despite differences of
opinion
Imagine if voters cast their ballot for who they believed
was the most qualified not on the perception of the lesser of evils
Imagine if lawmakers were not afraid to collaborate with
members of the other party
Just imagine
But looking through rose-colored glasses does not reveal
reality.
We have evolved (?) into a society:
Where partisanship divides us more than any other issue
Where respect for opinions that are different from our own
has nearly disappeared
Where differing opinions spark feelings of hate and even
calls for violence
Where many journalists are no longer reporters but rather
commentators issuing opinion presented and accepted as fact
Where the decision to publish by media appears to be based
on sales potential not added value to factual discussion
Where emotion allows bent truth and lies to be accepted as
fact
Where talking points built on our emotion is all we use to
base our decision without questioning
Where our votes are against the opposing candidate not
really for the candidate we support
Where lawmakers are fearful or outright refuse to
collaborate with the other party
It has not always been like this. We’ve had presidents able
to work with a divided congress. We’ve had state legislatures able to work
through partisan differences. We’ve had campaign seasons where respectful
discussion of the issues provided voters with the ability to make informed
decisions. We’ve had journalists and media who reported facts and labeled
commentary and opinion as such.
Rose-colored glasses can be turned in to clear ones. It will
take hard work, determination, and the willingness to make tough decisions by
lawmakers and candidates. It will take voters willing to stand up and demand
facts, clear discussion of the issues, and stop “buying” the current rhetoric.
In just over four months, the Nevada legislature can take
steps to change rose-colored to clear by continuing the work on election reform
started during the 2015 session. By re-introducing and enacting the Nevada
Election Modernization and Reform Act for 2017 (NEMRA – 2017), the
groundwork will be laid. You can make your voice heard by signing the petition
to legislative leaders here.
