As others see it: A call for civility

Minnesota’s primary election was completed early Wednesday morning as the results came in electronically to the office of the Secretary of State in St. Paul.

Fortunately, the Secretary of State’s office was not hindered by the thunderstorm and power outage that struck St. Paul Tuesday night.

Now the 2010 campaign season turns toward the Nov. 2 election, which is just over 11 weeks away.

As all these politicians — partisan and nonpartisan — ramp up for the 2010 campaign, the citizens of west central Minnesota need to ask lots of questions.

Citizens must ask tough questions and get to know their candidates for their local races — from school board to county board to governor to representatives. Each voter is responsible for educating themselves on their candidates of interest.

The candidates are responsible for running fair and truthful campaigns. Politics across the country has become a partisan failure that is polarizing not only elective bodies but the citizens as well.

This political and moral failure at the state and federal levels is often resulting in a governance of paralysis, with each side seeking to wait out the opposition until the next election two or four years down the road.

Democrat and Republican or liberal and conservative have become dirty words, often used by politicians and their operatives to skewer their opponents or score political points.

One statewide politician recently said it was unpatriotic to vote Democrat. A national politician this week said he did not how anyone with Hispanic heritage could be a Republican.

Both statements are despicable!

Republican or Democrat, liberal or conservative … none of these labels individually is unpatriotic or immoral.

The last we knew — Democrats and Republicans — were all Minnesotans and Americans first.

The current trend of extreme partisan politicians demonizing their opposing politician or party is bad politics. This politics of hate reminds one of past religious wars of history.

The result of this hate politics has resulted in bad governance. ....

From townships to St. Paul, Americans need leadership, not mob behavior. From county seats to political party headquarters, Americans need new ideas and innovation, not recycled political rhetoric or hatred. ...

As the 2010 campaign hits full-speed this week, more civility at all levels would be a welcome surprise as well as a needed change.

West Central Tribune

Tags: opinion, editorials, political, politics, minnesota, campaign