Events of the past three days make me think once again of our political dilemma. I think the Right is fundamentally wrong, and that the Left is fundamentally right. I do believe, however, in carefully giving this alligator of the Right its due, treating it as a force of nature to be respected, but that must be contained for the benefit of humanity. I believe that the margins between our two camps can be rendered soft and relatively porous. And I'm for working assiduously to bring this about.
There are the famous stories of Tip O’Neil knocking back a few with Reagan at night, and being a fierce partisan by day. This is a good model for legislators (and us) to follow. It can’t hurt to find opportunities for friendship and cooperation.
We have to avoid being overwhelmed with bitterness by our fundamental disagreements, and try our utmost to bridge the chasm without sacrificing our principles. I believe that we should hold fast to our GOALS while negotiating with the Right on TACTICS. The right leans in a direction that brings out the need for creativity. Dems need to embrace this quality, guarding against its tendency to be overly mechanical and cerebral. This means embracing faith-based and market initiatives. It means being able to embrace American exceptionalism. More than anything, it means thinking outside the box, all toward creating a more caring, compassionate and sensible nation.
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