Overcoming extremism: Why we must engage

As 2023 gets into gear, we’re plagued by political extremism that prevents progress on many issues, so we need to recognize that extremism has become an essential problem. And we need to take actions to reduce or defeat it.

Extremism’s success lies in its ability to exploit division here in western Colorado and around the country. It builds a political chasm, pitting rural against urban and religious against secular. These divisions also play out over differences in ethnicity, wealth, and education. As a result, animosity and political violence grow.

A November 2022 poll by the Institute of Politics and Public Service found that 8 in 10 Americans agreed they wanted “compromise and common ground as a goal for their political leaders.” Yet, 8 in 10 of these same Americans said they were, “tired of leaders compromising their values,” instead, wanting “leaders who stood up to the other side.”

You can see that it’s a complex, contradictory situation. We want common ground, but on our terms. There aren’t easy answers. Yet, more than a few Republicans and Democrats believe they can ignore extremism or live with it.

The Republican deniers

The “poof” illusion. Many Republicans in western Colorado privately say they are against extremism, but publicly remain silent. They fear losing friends or losing business or losing elections. They wait for others to step up. Somehow, they mistakenly believe extremism will just mystically vanish with a poof.

The stealth strategy. Other Republicans believe they can finesse change by electing a few good people who will quietly install moderate policies without openly confronting extremist policies or politicians.

But once these good people are elected, they get caught in a trap. If they try to change an extremist policy, they will be challenged in the next primary. So, they go along, justifying it by saying if they don’t win, they can’t get their moderate agenda passed. As a result, conservative moderates like Jeff Flake, Lamar Alexander, Ben Sasse, Roy Blunt, Rob Portman, Richard Burr, and Pat Toomey retire and fade away as a force for moderation. In the vacuum, extremist power grows.

The Democrat deniers

Won’t take on Denver or D.C. Many western Colorado Democrats know that national and state party leaders do not understand the values of citizens living here. The distant Democrat leaders don’t supply the time and money to support local candidates or to solve many of the problems specific to Western Colorado. They believe that Republicans in this part of the state are “unpersuadable.” They focus on the city, suburbs, and the progressives who make up much of their base.

But local Democrats won’t publicly criticize their party. Much like Republican deniers, they wait for change. They hope, someday, party leaders in Denver and D.C. will wake up.

It is clear that large numbers of Republicans, conservatives as well as moderates, are fed up with their party’s extremism. Unless western Colorado Democrats reach

out to them, the potential for Democrats to grow their base and win elections will remain unfulfilled.

Unaffiliated voter illusion

Some Democrats live with the illusion that because unaffiliated voters outnumber Republicans, talking with Republicans is unnecessary.

But unaffiliated voters are not one uniform group. They comprise different segments, each with different motivations and needs:

• Apolitical voters who shun politics and lack knowledge about issues and candidates.
• Relationship protectors who continue to vote for their former party, but changed affiliation to get along with friends, neighbors, and co-workers. They don’t want to be seen as blind followers of their party’s increasingly extremist positions.
• The ultra-extreme who changed registration, not because their former party was too extreme, but because it was not extreme enough.
• True moderates, who will vote for the candidate and party offering the least extreme policies and who favor appropriate, workable compromise.

To date, no one knows how large these segments are. But with 30% more Republicans than Democrats in the 3rd Congressional District, you can bet that among all the “unaffiliated” voters, Republican leaners outnumber Democrat leaners.

The bottom line

There are no shortcuts. We must engage with voters holding opposing views. Some are not ready to approach things with an open mind. But there are others who voted for extremists but are not committed to their cause. These are the voters with whom we should engage.

Minds can be changed, and party lines crossed. But only if we listen. And then, only if we can identify the common values we share that lie buried inside our differences over policy.

Next, part 2: We are not as divided as we think.