Copyright 2019 by No Labels
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Diversion Books
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First Diversion Books edition October 2019
Paperback ISBN: 978-1-63576-674-5
eBook ISBN: 978-1-63576-673-8
Printed in The United States of America
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Library of Congress cataloging-in-publication data is available on file.
FOREWORD
Partisanship and polarization arent new problems in America. But when it really matteredlike in the aftermath of 9/11 or the 2008 financial crisisRepublicans and Democrats in Washington managed to come together to legislate and lead in a way that made America safer and more secure.
We were there, representing Indiana in the Senate and Virginias 11th District in the House. In the wake of those calamities, we saw real leadership from people on both sides, along with a sense of urgency, clarity, and above all, national unity.
And then it was gone. Soon, the strident partisanship returned, and before long it curdled into something even worse: tribalism, and a growing sense on both sides that ones political opponents were not fellow citizens to be debated but enemies to be destroyed.
This corrosion of our political system and culture was already underway when both of us left Congress about a decade ago. Political scientists can debate the extent to which each side is responsible, but both parties have worked to ratchet up the pressure and widen the divide, needling their adversaries when they were in power, and acting as obstructionists when they were out. Now, with the 2020 election upon us, the tribalism is getting even worse and forcing us to entertain what would have once been an unthinkable question: If another 9/11 or economic crisis hit America tomorrow, could leaders in Washington put aside the petty politics and work with the sense of common purpose and patriotism that has enabled America to endure and thrive through so many dark times throughout our history?
We are not so sure. And that is why we are more committed than we have ever been to the mission of No Labelswhere we serve as volunteer advisorswhich has been working tirelessly since 2010 to bridge the divide in American politics.
No Labels mission is difficult but not impossible because this organization speaks for a vast and frustrated majority that is finally waking from its slumber and recognizing the danger that the extremes on both sides pose to Americas ability to govern itself. In poll after poll, most Americans say they prefer political leaders willing to compromise to get things done rather than just stick to their principles if it means getting nothing done. And yet, Washingtondespite being populated by what many Americans imagine to be weather vanes easily swayed by public opinionhas never seemed more contemptuous of the publics appetite for cooperation.
Why?
The simple answer comes back to something one of us has been saying for years: The partisans have the passion while everyone else has lives.
The fringes on both sides vote, volunteer, show up at the town halls and donate money, and are relentless and disciplined in pushing their message and agenda. They punch well above their weight in political campaigns, especially given the fact that more than eight out of ten US House seats are in districts that are safe for one party, which means the primary is the only election that matters. But voter turnout in these races is often between just 10%20% of the electorate, and most of the people who do turn out are much further to the Left or Right than the country at large.
The Far Left and Far Right may have different ideas, but they are sending the same clear message to political candidates and leaders: Dont you dare work with the other side. If you do, we are coming for you. Thats how we end up with a Congress with too many members who equate compromise with treason and have little interest in forging meaningful working relationships with anyone in the other party.
In Washington and throughout our political system there are plenty of constituencies promoting and profiting from conflict. There has been no constituency for cooperation. But that is starting to change thanks to No Labels, which is finally organizing the vast swath of the public that wants our leaders to work together to solve problems.
Although the easy shorthand explanation for Americas dysfunction is the intractable divide between Democrats and Republicans, there is also a growing divide within the parties between their governing and extremist wings. Leaders on the Center Right and Center Left are finding they may have more in common with one another than the fringes in their own parties, and with that recognition comes the potential for a welcome and overdue realignment in American politics.
Thus far in the 2020 election, neither President Trump nor the many Democrats vying to replace him appear interested in speaking to voters beyond their base. But as we approach next years electionand the candidates recognize the coalition necessary to win a party primary is very different from the one required to win a generaltheyll have to move beyond narrowcasting to their base and toward broadcasting to the country. When they do, they and their campaigns would be well-served to read the book Ryan Clancy and Margaret White have written.
No Labels Ultimate Guide to the 2020 Election cuts through the noise and the partisan spin to explain the nature of Americas problems and the policy choices available to the next president. In a political environment in which each side wants to make every issue seem black and white, Margaret and Ryan will help you understand the many shades of gray. After you read this book, we think youll recognize that Americans arent as hopelessly divided as some imagine.
There is common ground to be found, if only our leaders are willing to look for it.
We dont agree with every single idea Margaret and Ryan propose in the Ultimate Guide . But we are proud to write the foreword for this book because we believe Margaret and Ryan have approached our nations challenges in much the same way we tried to throughout our careers in Congress: identifying a problem, researching several ideas across the ideological spectrum for how to fix it, and proposing solutions that they believe could generate broad bipartisan support.
That approach has not only produced a book worth reading; it offers a blueprint for how our next president could unite the country and bring both parties together to solve problems that have festered for far too long.
We arent nave about how hard this will be. The incentives for politicians on both sides to pander to their base and try to destroy the other side are as strong as they have ever been. But there is another way forward, and No Labels Ultimate Guide to the 2020 Election points the way.
Evan Bayh and Tom Davis, May 2019
Tom Davis, a Republican, represented Virginias 11th district in the US House from 19952008. He also chaired the National Republican Congressional Committee from 19992003.
Evan Bayh, a Democrat, was the governor of Indiana from 19891997 and served as a US Senator from 19992011.
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