I came of age in an era of intense political polarization. The first election I was old enough to pay attention to was in 2016, and what I was confronted with was a dismal sight. Every news channel, political ad, and social media post seemed to tell me that the world of politics was an ugly one, where all options were bad, every politician was out for themself, and friendships could shatter from the seemingly insurmountable divide of political beliefs.
The general sentiment I heard from many I loved and respected was that you simply had to hold your nose and vote for the “lesser of two evils.” That the policy mattered more than the person delivering it. But deep inside, my soul rebelled against the thought. No policy, no matter how good, is worth what we sacrifice when we say that character doesn’t matter.
Character does not come cheaply
I myself have fought hard enough against my own worst nature to know that character does not come cheaply or easily, and it is not something one can put on like a coat just by affiliating with one set of policies over another. Character is demonstrated in the everyday choices someone makes, in the way they treat their fellow man, the humility with which they listen to others, and their honest dealings with others. These traits must be evaluated on an individual basis. No one party or person has a monopoly on goodness, nor holds all the answers. The best leaders are willing to listen and learn from others with different beliefs, in the hopes that they will arrive at a better solution than the one they could have come up with on their own. That takes character.
A leader who is self-centered cannot be trusted with the good of the people, and in a democracy, that trust is critical. Personally, at every level I would rather have a leader who fundamentally disagrees with me but cares about my well-being than a leader who exactly matches my beliefs who doesn’t. One of those leaders would have my trust, because that care would lead them to listen to me, treat me with respect, and even possibly change their mind. A selfish leader can only be trusted insofar as my needs align with their interests.
Disagree better
Ask yourself, “If I were on the other side of the aisle, would I trust this person to listen to me and defend my dignity and humanity?” In the storm that was 2020, I still remember how I felt when I saw the first “Disagree Better” campaign video. In it, Utah Governor Spencer Cox and his then-political opponent Chris Peterson jointly appeared in a political ad. Among good-natured quips that “No, really you should vote for me,” they told voters that there can be debate without degrading, and disagreement without hate. In the span of 30 seconds, my trust in both of them skyrocketed. I saw that regardless of differences, they would respect their opponent, and such a realization brought a sense of safety as a constituent.
When we vote, that vote represents our voice. It sends a message, and it’s crucial that we think about the entirety of what it’s saying. When we vote for policy in spite of character, the message we send is “You can behave in an objectionable way as long as when the bill gets put to a vote, you vote along my ideological lines.”
With our votes, we hold our leaders accountable. We the people get to decide what is and isn’t acceptable in our politics. I believe that the leaders in the highest positions in our country should be held to the highest standard of behavior, and when they fail to meet that, I can withhold my support.
Shaping the culture
Policies change. Culture, however, is built and maintained over time. We must use our voices to help shape the culture we will allow in our political discourse. Let us speak out for character now to create a reality in which we can debate policy with civility and honor more naturally and easily.
Maybe our options right now aren’t perfect. In an ideal world, the choice could simply be made on the grounds of policy, because the character of all candidates would be strong and moral. But if we want to arrive in such a circumstance, we must take a stand now and say that we do care about character. That we do believe in civil dialogue. That we do respect the dignity of all human beings.
If your vote is your voice, then what will you say?
Sage Goodwin is a sociology undergraduate at Brigham Young University with a minor in civic engagement leadership. She is a member of Mormon Women for Ethical Government, where she volunteers in a role focused on peacemaking and facilitating difficult conversations.