11 Comments
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Alan Ackley's avatar

We can piss and moan all we want, but it doesn’t change anything! What can we rally behind to make some meaningful changes?

Primary reform? Term limits? End the direct election of senators? A 5th article convention? Radical change is in the air. This dysfunction can’t go on too much longer!

We’re essentially broke, and any progress is stonewalled by one or the other parties. We need to leave a legacy of sacrificing for future generations.

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Brad Porteus's avatar

https://bridgegrades.substack.com/p/the-witch-hunt-of-bipartisan-collaborators

Here's a post that builds on this No Labels piece and reinforces the point how asinine it is that partisan interests are coming after the collaborative representatives we need so badly to protect.

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Wayne Eckerson's avatar

Political parties, which are not enumerated in the Constitution, have a stranglehold on our political system and government. And as this terrific article states, the parties are getting more extreme. It's time for a change. As Hegel wrote, for every thesis there is an antithesis, followed by a synthesis. Americans want this. But we need a new strategy to deliver it.

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Lenore Wilkison's avatar

Are there people we can contact, such as Republicans in Congress, Democrats in congress, the Republican national committee, Democratic national committee?

Can you provide us with a platform on or through which to contact these people?

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Maryellen Tuttell's avatar

Getting rid of gerrymandering might help

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Brad Porteus's avatar

With Bridge Grades we are using objective data to score our politicians, and to the point of your article, the names of the Congresspersons you mention who are being targeted have earned A grades on the dimension of bipartisanship and collaboration. Indeed, these "A" grade bridgers are those who can best serve our common interests. They are the least famous members of Congress getting the most done.

https://www.bridgepledge.org/bridge-grade

Fully agree with the sentiment in this article that says "Members whodo the difficult, necessary work of building consensus should be rewarded, not punished."

Let's make Grade A bridgers more famous for the work they do for our common interests.

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Sam Zickar's avatar

Thanks for sharing, Brad!

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Maryellen Tuttell's avatar

If there was no gerrymandering, moderates would have a chance

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Brad Porteus's avatar

But there is gerrymandering unfortunately so we must keep trying other ways like supporting bridgers over dividers regardless of party.

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Mark's avatar

I want to help and have an impact. Give us some concrete steps to take that will have that impact. I want to help. My first inclination is to begin a NO INCUMBENT campaign but that’s not enough

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Joyce Stoer Cordi's avatar

Extremists nominated in closed primaries, more often than not, lose in general elections. How many times do voters (even extreme voters) have to experience this phenomena before they understand how stupid and self-destructive this behavior is? How it damages the fragile fiber of the Constitution?

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