Today is Election Day. Did you vote?
Geitner Simmons is the Senior Editorial Writer at the Omaha World-Herald, where he has been in the editorial writers department for the past 21 years. News media and print journalism everywhere is experiencing upheaval and change, and the World-Herald is not exempt. In the past few years, the World-Herald went through massive layoffs and cuts to benefits, was sold by Warren Buffett to Lee Enterprises, and staff made the decision to form a union…big changes. I first met Geitner in 2018 when I went through my endorsement interview with the World-Herald editorial board. He and I have a positive professional relationship, as I have with all reporters. I have extreme respect for the press, especially now as local newsrooms are short on staff while the world is long on chaos. In my capacity as an elected official, I have never seen the press as an adversary, but as the fourth estate, as a separate and sovereign power with its own responsibility to the public. I have been annoyed before at how reporters characterize me or write about things I do, but then again, I sometimes do annoying things.
Geitner’s tweet today resonated with a subject that is on my mind often: Partisanship, ideological loyalty, and the performance of politics. Yes, on both sides. On all sides.
I truly hate partisanship. That’s the way I would phrase that. I am allergic. It is wild to think about the level we could be on if we chose to evolve a little, think independently, and put values over party. We are prevented from reaching our cultural potential because the political system works through loyalty and mutual back scratching. If you are a friend, you can’t offer criticism, pushback, or independence, or you will be totally removed from authority. And if you stay a friend, you will be rewarded. And look at how well that system works for the people in power… it works beautifully. This system is perfectly designed to produce the results it gets. Nobody breaks out without permission.
The most ideological do the least original thinking. But they run for office, they win, and we continue to live within the constraints of the framework created by their policies. It doesn’t have to be this way at all. But better people have to run, and you have to vote for them!
The system doesn't work this way because it's "broken." It works this way because the people in power want it to work this way. That's why true leadership is a subversive activity. We need to elect different people. Maybe YOU are the next person who needs to run for office.
We can all think of a few examples of people in positions of authority who don’t derive their power from the institution, but from the trust of the public. We can have more of that if we want it.
“The tree of hyper-partisanship Bears toxic, bitter fruit; Prudent Legislators will DESTROY IT BRANCH AND ROOT.” -Senator Ernie Chambers, a registered Independent, in one of his signature “Erniegrams”
I recently read a Twitter thread from Karla Monterroso, the CEO of Code 2040, an organization working towards the proportional representation of Black & Latinx technologists in the innovation economy. Karla wrote about Chaotic Good/Lawful Good (alignments from Dungeons and Dragons, if you don’t know) people working for change within institutions, and the frustrations and friction that come with that.
She talks about the presidential election, but what I took most from this were the points about why we choose to make change through the inside game or outside game, and the wiring in people that makes us prefer working on the inside or outside. My job is designed to make me use limited power to find ways to make good things happen, so this spoke to me.
Karla also expanded upon her thoughts in this Medium article.
I wish that in press interviews and candidate forums, someone once in a while would ask a question like, “What is a book that changed your life?” or “What are you looking forward to this month?” or “What are your hobbies?” Sometimes these answers tell you more about someone’s character than a canned political answer. For state and local candidates this is even more important. Are they curious? Are they resourceful? Are they full of shit? Personal questions is how we get to the bottom of that…
Finally, journalists all over the country are being put on unpaid furloughs at the worst possible time in our nation’s history. If you don’t already, subscribe to your local newspaper and support their important work.
More to come. If you know someone who would like this in their inbox, forward it to them and tell your friends to subscribe. You can browse previous editions here (it’s not all politics, you know). I would also ask you to consider upgrading to a paid subscription if you have not, which would be extraordinarily supportive and appreciated. Follow me on Instagram and Twitter, too. Stay home, and stay safe!
Meg