A couple of years ago, NCoC Executive Director David Smith and I had a conversation about the 2008 America’s Civic Health Index, which found that self-identified Democrats and Republicans had few friends across the aisle.  We’re not talking about elected officials (though we’ll get to that), we’re talking about everyday citizens.  This reinforcing of attitudes only serves to make us suspicious of the “other.”  We both lamented the lack of civility and understanding about the political “other” and talked about public policies that could change the incentive system for citizens and elected officials to prioritize the common ground over blind party support.  The undercurrent of this discussion was the hyper-partisanship that had taken federal politics hostage in the past two decades and how our generation (Millennial) sought to move beyond it.  But, alas, the Baby Boomers beat us to it (to be fair, they do have a head-start in fundraising and networks).

Yesterday a new movement called No Labels was launched founded on the credo of “Not left. Not right. Forward”.  I know this sounds like political platitudes because we can all agree that “forward” is the right approach, broadly speaking, but what this movement is attempting to do is give support to the millions of independents, and even partisans who want a more civil political discourse.  And more importantly, it gives them an organizing structure to rally around that the current two-party system does not offer.   Following the conference via webcast (the Midwest snow storm kept me bunkered down in Chicago), I came away with two ways that No Labels is trying to achieve its mission.  First and foremost, this movement is about changing the culture of American politics.  A culture that allows vitriol and contempt to be featured on the 24 hour news cycle, a culture that rewards extremism in closed primary elections, a culture that asks what’s best for building up Republicans and Democrats.  As Congressman Tom Davis said in a backstage interview at today’s launch event at Columbia University in New York City, when an elected official steps of their political box, “they get ambushed in a primary”.  In other words, political compromise isn’t rewarded, and never-mind if you’ve supported your party 95% of the time.  Just look at what happened to Mike Castle who ran for Senate in Delaware (who came out in support of open primaries on a No Labels panel on electoral reform). 

President Obama understood that the American public is fed-up with hyper-partisanship and ran much of his campaign on the message of changing the way business is done in Washington.  I’m reminded of his words that “[t]here is not a liberal America and a conservative America, there’s the United States of America”.  It still gives me chills and makes my heart skip a beat for what we need so badly in politics today - civility.  But parties and the individuals who represent them are often beholden to the system of hyper-partisanship that rules the day.  That’s why No Labels is so important – finally there is a movement of grassroots and grasstops leaders who want to be bridge-builders and are committed to celebrating politicians who do the same.  The President, while being the nation’s leader is also a Democrat and so that may make the reality of bridge-building more difficult for him, then say a citizens' movement of Independents and civil Democrats and Republicans. 

In addition to changing the political culture, there was a good discussion on several issues though I think one bucket of issues stood out more than others  - election reform, specifically the rules of redistricting that allows states to gerrymander districts, and in effect, foster a very extreme debate between very left-wing and very right-wing candidates.  A policy solution that was discussed at length during one of the sessions was about open-primaries and how this type of system changed the incentive structure to value understanding of all voters, not just the party loyalists who usually drum the loudest beat. 

I caught-up with David after the No Labels launch (which he attended) and I asked him to choose one strategy above all that would help move us beyond hyper-partisanship: “Modern citizenship is about understanding when labels matter and when they don’t; when party loyalty matters and when it doesn’t.  The bottom line is this: if we don’t breakdown the cultural barriers that prevent independents, liberals and conservatives from having a civil discourse with one another, then our country will not be able to solve the imminent problems that face us today.”  No Labels has set out the ambitious goal (among many) of establishing meet-ups in every congressional district to allow people from all political persuasions to come together and not only discuss politics and policies, but also help elected politicians who put public service before party.  Could this be the start of a new kind of American politics?

What do you think?  Is changing culture the first-step?  Or is it electoral issues like open primaries and redistricting reform?


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Piece contributed by NCoC.net commentator Karlo Barrios Marcelo, CEO of Karlo Marcelo Consulting, LLC.