All of us are neck deep in politics everyday of our lives. Every organization on earth that involves human beings has its politics.
Politics does not have to be a bad thing. Actually politics can be a good thing when we bring people to the table to sit down, work together, compromise and get things done for the common good. Actually politics is the complex process of working together to make decisions that affect all of us.
Government gets a black eye for the politics of our elected officials. This happens when we don’t get our own way, Yet, businesses, churches, charities, fraternal organizations, even families have their own sets of politics, and none of us always get our own way. Believe me, I have five children, a foster daughter and other children for whom I care, and the politics when even two of them are in the same room is incomprehensible.
In Washington the hundreds of elected representatives get together in Congress to make decisions that impact all of us. There is no agreement when they walk into the session. There is only disagreement. Politics takes over. Coalitions are built. Everyone tries to get as much as possible, and most end with less than everything but something.
Think about it, even here in Franklin County we cannot agree on a concerted political path. We have centrist Republican ideas which are an anathema to MAGA. We have centrist Democrat ideas which are just as much an anathema to progressives.
There are men and women. They do not always think alike (just ask my wife). We have parents, children, older people, fat people, thin people, those with money and those without, cat lovers and cat loathers, dog lovers and those allergic to animals, and the list goes on and on. There is no end to all of the differences between us.
So how do we come to a conclusion? Some people think those who yell the loudest get their way. But that is not always true. And it is certainly not true in Washington or Harrisburg where our elected representatives have traditionally worked to forge agreements to resolve difficult issues. This is called politics.
The truth is that any compromise of value makes everyone equally unhappy.
And all of this talk of politics brings me to this latest Presidential election.
Some folks do not understand that the root of politics is compromise and that happens best in an atmosphere of mutual respect. They believe politics is a dirty business. They throw mud, do not act ethically, out and out lie, bully and threaten others with whom they do not agree. I would argue that this is not politics but ignorance.
Before the election I received mailings from both candidates.
The political party of one candidate put its best foot forward. They emphasized the accomplishments of the then President, where the party stood on issues affecting all of us, and what would be done if that party were to be reelected. As a deeply experienced and proven politician, the President was shown to be able to build coalitions and get things done.
The challenger had different ideas. His party wanted to tear things down and to rebuild with a different philosophy in mind. This was a party of business and presented itself as having the capability to cut food costs, cut gas prices, cut red tape and to deliver everyday benefits.
I have been actively involved in helping people get elected for more than 35 years. I have raised money for candidates on the local, state and federal levels. I have devoted time and energy to those I believed would be a positive for our area.
In many cases both the person I supported and the person running in opposition were quality individuals. They ran positive campaigns. They discussed issues and their own approach to solving our problems. They put their best foot forward so that we could all make an informed judgment.
In many cases over the years I have become friends with the winners and the losers in these races. And that is the way it is supposed to be. Politics is about how many friends you can make, not how many enemies. It is about building coalitions and getting something accomplished, not about burning bridges.
An election is supposed to be about ideas and who is best to lead our community. About who can represent the majority of the people to get the best deal possible in the compromises necessary to pass legislation and get things done. An election is about who will make the best politician.
Throughout the coming years, it is best to remember politics is about building coalitions, not destroying them.
Bill Gindlesperger is a central Pennsylvanian, Dickinson College graduate, Pennsylvania System Of Higher Education (PASSHE) Governor, former Shippensburg University Trustee, awarded numerous patents, as well as Founder and Chairman of eLynxx Solutions. eLynxx provides cloud-software for automated sourcing and managing of mail marketing, swag, packaging, and all things print. He is a board member, campaign advisor, successful entrepreneur, published author and commentator. He can be reached at Bill.Gindlesperger@eLynxx.com.
