10/17/2018

Ohio Governor Urges Civility in Nation's Politics

Democracy requires something finer than "I win, you lose"

This month’s Supreme Court saga was not America’s finest hour. Regardless of how you feel about Brett Kavanaugh, you probably agreed that the whole affair was beneath our democratic institutions. 

It’s hard to see it any other way. People are angry, torn apart by the zero-sum game they’ve seen playing out — not just over a court nomination, but in virtually every other public policy debate and election campaign. Zero-sum means “I win, you lose.” It means “win at all costs” and “there’s no space for you.” It’s where any tactic will do in order to win. And in the end, nothing works because of our division. Doesn’t democracy require something finer than that?

How ironic that the deep divisions we witnessed followed a month after America came together to celebrate the life of the late Senator John McCain, a true American hero who embodied a positive, constructive and thoroughly civil approach to public service. His career showed us that good things can happen when we put aside our own priorities and partisanship to serve a greater purpose — to find “win-win” solutions, where the two sides of any debate can both emerge with the feeling that they have accomplished something positive and were respected by the process.

Please select this link to read the complete op-ed from USA Today.