With partisan tensions escalating to a crescendo this last election cycle, there have been small tastes of what unity can look like on the other side. We’ve been so inundated with an us vs. them strategy by mainstream media that we have not always been seeing each other as Americans first and political opponents second. We all want what’s best for the country, we just disagree on methods. If we focus more on our common goals, I think we can have more constructive conversations about the means. Three key moments I’d like to focus on that gave us a taste of unity are the Utah gubernatorial race, a Detroit political rally on election night, and the Oklahoma County sheriff race.
The Utah gubernatorial race ads were probably the most viral of this type of message. Both gubernatorial candidates were able to respect each other on air, give the other credit for being a worthy opponent and good person, while also being able to promote themselves. The fact that these messages went viral nationwide speaks volumes on the desire for more political banter like this. The people crave respectful political candidates, and this was a glimpse of what that could look like.
There was also a moment of unity during a political rally in Detroit, Michigan. It started as expected with both sides shouting heated exchanges through bullhorns at each other. Then, at some point, both sides began singing “God Bless America” together. This point when both sides saw each other as Americans before Democrats or Republicans made national news and was a breath of fresh air in an otherwise tense and heated political landscape.
Finally, in a historic race for Oklahoma County Sheriff between two African-American candidates, both sides were able to acknowledge the other and bring the overall message around to “… [This] truly shows that we are making strides in our country and that is beautiful and I love that we are representing that here in Oklahoma County.” The solidarity and uplifting message from both was nice to hear, and gave many hope that tensions could be lower moving forward.
While political tensions have been high in recent history, there is hope that we can see each other not as enemies, but as Americans hoping to achieve some common goals: life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Easing tensions can hopefully lead to more productive conversations, and ultimately better platforms, candidates, and results in the future.