Years ago, I was blessed to work for former Vice President Walter F. Mondale. His influence on me is felt to this day and his passing gives me reason to reflect. I have never worked for or loved a greater man in politics. Vice President Mondale was honest, kind, caring and truly committed to the people. He emanated a principled blend of integrity and hope for a better country and a better world. He believed people were far more than the lowest common denominator.
He was raised on the “Iron Range” of Minnesota, the son of a Methodist minister who never forgot where he came from. He worked tirelessly for fair housing and to ensure equality among all citizens, no matter their background or race.
What struck me most this week, as news of his death reached me, was the 1984 presidential campaign between Mondale and former President Ronald Reagan, and how different it was from the campaigns and political rhetoric of today.
It was a tough campaign. Both sides fought valiantly to point out the differences between the two men. President Reagan was a rock-ribbed conservative who believed in “trickle-down” economics. Vice President Mondale ran a liberal campaign, supporting a nuclear freeze and championing the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA).
While both men fiercely debated principles and process, neither man ever strayed into personal attacks on character. The one exception may be the most memorable moment in the campaign, when during a debate, President Reagan deflected the issue of his advanced age with this quip, “I will not make age an issue of this campaign. I am not going to exploit, for political purposes, my opponent’s youth and inexperience.” It was classic Reagan and with an amusing turn of a phrase, both sides shared a moment of levity before returning to issues.
The 1984 election was a blow-out, but it featured two candidates who debated philosophy, but not facts. Compare that to today’s political environment with the atmosphere of debating “alternative facts” where the currency is the politics of personal destruction.
Will we use our history to elevate dialogue for a common good or have we accepted the choice to wade into a cesspool of mistrust and mischaracterizations because we don’t take the time to listen to all sides, to learn about policies and think through solutions to complicated problems? We must be more responsible for our words and actions.
In 1984, there was no 24-hour news cycle. Today’s pace feels like a 24-second news cycle with social media and instant response where everyone is their own media mogul.
Today, too many politicians believe in being ruthlessly truthless. It is no longer important to be factual and offer solutions that work. Now, the strategy is to win, just repeat an untruth often enough and loud enough so that a blindly loyal group will follow and fall victim to falsehoods. That approach not only derails true progress on challenges, but can also weaponize the majority of the population around a lie.
Since democracy was formed, competing parties had their differences. We held intense, sometimes bitter arguments with emotional debates over critical issues of the day, but in the end, we all sought a solution, a compromise, progress. It wasn’t about just winning for winning’s sake.
What have we become today? Lately, from Washington, D.C. to the NH House of Representatives, there are too many lawmakers, most especially on the right-wing of the political spectrum, fueled by the politics of provincialism, who are willing to utter anything they think they have to say to get what they want. It’s a politics of hate and mistrust and it ultimately hurts the people.
The examples of blatant mistruth are plentiful and easy to find, especially in our local political debates. But enumerating them only fuels more anger and accusation. Let’s all take a look in the mirror and start with ourselves. Let’s rise above the politics of personal destruction and win at all costs. Let’s allow character and altruism to re-enter political debate. Let’s remember our history – the good and the bad – and remember the lessons of those who led with truth and compassion.
Walter Mondale knew the difference between winning at any cost and focusing on the common good. Let’s honor his memory and all those on both sides who shared this approach and return to a more cooperative conversation.
(Katherine Rogers of Concord represents Merrimack District 28 in the New Hampshire House of Representatives.)