Perplexed, But Not Divided
Thursday, January 25, 2007(The Harwood Institute for Public Innovation)
Perplexed, But Not Divided
by Richard C. Harwood
America is not
split into two warring factions: More likely,
weíre on hold until we figure out a few
things
- msnbc.com, November 10,
2000
WASHINGTON, Nov. 10 ó No matter
who wins the White House, the conventional
wisdom emerging from Tuesdayís election is
that we live in a deeply divided nation. But
that analysis sorely misreads America today and
can easily take the next president, news media
and our nation down the wrong path. Thereís
much evidence that weíre on our way.
TO
SOME OBSERVERS, election-day exit polls suggest
weíre a nation splitting right in two. They
point to a long list of differences plaguing
us, including a divide between urban voters and
those who live in rural areas and small towns.
Between gun holders and gun-control proponents.
Between higher-income folks and lower-income
folks. And between those who want tax cuts and
those who seek action on health care and
education.
If you buy into this analysis
you might think the nation is in a state of
charged conflict. Some election analysts are
even using the haunting phrase ìcivil warî to
describe our current affairs, suggesting that
different groups of Americans know exactly what
they want and are lined up to do
battle.
The Waiting Place
I
believe this election confirms a vastly
different view of America, one that my
colleagues and I have been documenting in our
ongoing studies of public discourse. The nation
seems to be in a ìwaiting place,î where
people hold a strong sense that something is
amiss but theyíre not quite sure what it is or
what to do about it.
Whatís amiss?
Concern about how the changing economy is
affecting people. An urge to do ìsomethingî
about education and to act ìsomewayî on
health care. A sense that materialism has run
amuck on us. Dismay over the vulgarity and
incivility of our culture. A growing sense that
people are retreating into their own small,
comfortable worlds. People donít believe the
nation reflects their values and
hopes.
Not much time was spent in this
election season trying to explore the waiting
place. Instead, as a nation we took the easy
road by enlisting people into tired, worn-out
entrenched camps. Are you for a tax cut or not?
For guns or not? Trust the government or the
people? When all else fails, itís this
divisive approach everyone falls back on - from
the candidates to news media analysis to
frustrated citizens.
A Struggle
Within
But the most fundamental dilemma
today is not our so-called differences but the
struggle within ourselves as a nation to figure
out where we are, who we seek to become and how
we as individuals fit into that. It is a common
struggle one can hear throughout our land, but
only if weíre willing listen beyond the
convenient and shallow quickie
surveys.
For instance, people are
struggling over what do our deep-seated
concerns really mean? What competing priorities
emerge from them and the choices they present
to us in our own lives? Who is responsible for
taking action on our concerns - is it up to us
as individuals, the community or government, or
is it some combination? And if we decide to
act, do we have faith that our collective
action will add up to anything, or that others
will do their part?
People arenít quite
sure what to make of all these swirling
tensions in our public life. Indeed, theyíre
ambivalent - torn - about how to proceed. This
ambivalence fosters a reluctance to make
dramatic moves, despite the nagging sense that
change is in order. So sure, different people
come to these and other concerns from different
perspectives - and we often see those
differences played out in survey results and
voting patterns. But thereís much more going
on beneath the surface which represents a
common struggle, not a divided
nation.
The Course to
Take
Whatís next if the next president
does believe we are indeed ready for ìcivil
warî - that we are a house divided? He might
decide that the only way to move his agenda is
to pit one group against another. Or, he could
take the view that people arenít ready for any
change and simply choose to be highly
conciliatory, a mere caretaker. And if we as a
nation believe weíre a house divided, then we
too may fear even talking about the challenges
that face us. One could argue that all three of
these scenarios have been in play in recent
times.
There are many steps a president
and we as a nation can take to get out of this
waiting place, but first and foremost we must
come to see that we are not a house divided. We
are folks living in the same house seeking to
understand just what ails us and, given our
different perspectives, what it all means. The
sooner we get to these common concerns, the
more we can bring America together.