The Economist this week featured a cover story about all the things that could go wrong with this year’s presidential election. Titled, “America’s Ugly Election,” it suggested many Americans worry November could lead to violence and a constitutional crisis.
Indeed, some candidates seem to be laying the groundwork for claiming things were rigged, in the event they lose. Mail-in balloting, long the accepted practice in Utah and some other states, is being assailed as vulnerable and prone to fraud, without the benefit of any credible evidence. Negative, nasty campaign tactics, involving lies, name-calling and accusations, seem to lead the way on all fronts.
Utah’s 4th Congressional District, where Democrat Ben McAdams and Republican Burgess Owens are neck and neck, can stake out some valuable high ground amid this potentially destructive tumult.
Demographers have noted that competitive races are becoming rare in the United States. Josh Huder, a senior fellow at the Government Affairs Institute at Georgetown University, conducted research showing that, in the 19th century, the U.S. House of Representatives averaged 45% turnover each election. On 15 separate occasions, the turnover was more than half.
Today, according to the Cook Political Report, only 28 seats are considered toss-ups, with just a handful more expected to change hands by a wide margin. That’s out of 435 seats up for election.
Huder correctly notes that the lack of close races translates into the lack of cooperation and compromise between the two major parties. Representatives who expect to win by landslides have no incentive to be nice to members of the other party. Instead, they have much to gain by demonizing and feeding the natural biases of their supporters.
By contrast, candidates in close elections have much to gain from acting conciliatory, recognizing the necessity of luring support from their opponent, and it’s easier to do that with honey than with a sledgehammer.
Few districts in recent years have been as competitive as Utah’s 4th District. McAdams, the current incumbent, defeated the previous incumbent, Republican Mia Love, by a scant 694 votes in the last election. According to the most recent Deseret News/Hinckley Institute of Politics poll, McAdams is tied with Owens in this year’s race.
We have met with both candidates. Some, but not everything, we’ve heard them say so far could be characterized as civil.
But each has a great opportunity to elevate the discussion going forward. It may be legitimate to point out policy differences or your opponent’s positions with which you disagree. But voters gain more, and can better judge how to use their own vote, by learning about each candidate’s plans for a better future.
Perhaps the most distressing byproduct of nasty campaigning is that it erodes the already fragile trust many voters have in their government and those who seek office. This mistrust tends to fuel voter apathy and cynicism, which can develop eventually into even uglier behaviors.
The Economist notes that, with all that’s being said in advance of this year’s election, “state officials must do everything they can to make sure it goes as smoothly as possible, remembering that they owe loyalty to the constitution, not their party.”
The magazine was speaking mostly of the presidential race, but it applies to those few competitive races for Congress, as well.
We have no reason to doubt Utah’s election officials will conduct a fair and honest tally. It’s up to McAdams and Owens to make sure the 4th District shows the rest of the nation how campaigns should be run, as well.