Readers write: What does 'winning' in politics mean?
Sometimes winning isn鈥檛 about winning.
That鈥檚 essentially what Sen. John McCain (R) of Arizona said in a speech from the Senate floor last week, calling on his colleagues to stop being so focused on chalking up wins for one鈥檚 party that you lose sight of the bigger issue: solving problems for Americans.
His speech prompted us to ask you 鈥� our readers 鈥� how you would define winning in politics. The answers reflected a thoughtful tone, in contrast to the intense partisanship we鈥檙e seeing in American politics.
鈥淲inning in politics should be characterized by succeeding in policies, investments and decisions that are for the greater good of the people, the communities, the planet. 鈥� We win when they work together, not behind closed doors, not when the only way to get attention is to rally against everything the other guys want,鈥� writes R. Evans from Watertown, Mass., who refutes the idea that politics is a zero-sum game 鈥撀燼nd blames today鈥檚 political discontent and vitriol on party divisiveness and a new president 鈥渨ho evaluates everything in transaction terms as a 鈥榙eal鈥� that has to be won, which means everyone else is a loser鈥︹��
In Washington, 鈥渃ompromise鈥� has become something of a dirty word. But a number of those who wrote in saw it as often being essential to the greater good.
鈥淲inning means working together (across the aisle) to find the best possible solutions for the common good by listening to your constituents from all perspectives.聽 Also listen to those with different solutions than one鈥檚 own and together find a means for solving the problems government faces, writes Margery Schleicher from Mason, Mich. 鈥淪ometimes it means that you need to understand that at a given moment in time it鈥檚 not going to be possible to get all the solution for which you advocate.鈥�
And while the main challenge may be getting Democrats and Republicans to work together, the past week has underscored deep divisions within the Republican Party and between GOP lawmakers and President Trump.
鈥淪hould the President work more closely with Congressional Republicans? Yes, and with Democrats too,鈥� says Steve Wells from Tacoma, Wash., who for 14 years worked with the Washington State legislature and was disheartened to learn how much of legislating was built around winning. 鈥淚 am encouraged by the existence of a Problem-Solvers Caucus in the House鈥�. To me, it鈥檚 time to solve or at least address real issues and challenges. I believe the most likely successful path for doing that is to negotiate a bipartisan path. Every side must, to some degree, compromise so that we all win.鈥�
To be sure, that takes patience.
鈥淲inning takes time to nurture if it鈥檚 a solution worth succeeding,鈥� says Ms. Margery from Michigan, who advocates cultivating good working relationships with persons who differ with one鈥檚 own view, as well as those who agree. Often, she adds, together they can 鈥渃ome up with a better solution than either side previously might have desired!鈥�
John Scott of Batavia, Ill., believes civility is part of winning.
鈥淲inning in politics means, among other things, maintaining cordial working relationships with one鈥檚 opponents without engaging in personal attacks. It also means dealing as honestly as possible with the realities that one confronts, avoiding demagoguery.鈥�
Sometimes, though, winning requires sticking to one鈥檚 principles, Mr. Scott adds. 鈥淚t also means getting oneself on the right side of really important issues, the side that one鈥檚 moral and spiritual beliefs say is right. This gives one a defense even if one loses the contest, and lays the groundwork for change if one wins the contest.鈥�
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