Sun Still Rising on America

With the exception of the disappointing results on judicial retention, I am pleased with yesterday’s election.  Many of the candidates I wanted to win didn’t, but the process worked and that is good.  Fortunately, the nasty fringe of the Tea Party was turned back in many key races.  We now have an opportunity to return civility to our electoral process, but that has to start today and with us.

First, some thoughts on judicial retention.  Iowans took a step backward with this decision.  It is a good thing Justices are on the ballot every eight years.  The people should have the ability to remove those unfit for office.  However, these members of the Supreme Court were not tossed out because they were unfit.  They made a ruling based on our Constitution and legal precedent that made people nervous.  If Iowans did not like the ruling, they should amend the Constitution and/or change the law.  Firing the legal equivalent of a sporting event’s referee because some don’t like the call is silly.  Judges should not be threatened to rule based on public pressure.  We have a legislative and executive branch to react to the public.  The judicial branch is to be an unbiased arbitrator.

The three Justices are out, but I am hopeful Iowans have vented their frustration and will not take this further by upending what is a good process for selecting an independent judiciary.  Governor-elect Terry Branstad has a point – the commission that recommends candidates to the Governor for selection became controlled by a partisan group of Democrats under Governor Chet Culver.  For that body to work, it has to be balanced.  It is no place for one-sided politics.  Hopefully, our new Governor will return that balance and not work to scrap what has been a national model for how judicial appointment should work.

The Republican Party took control of Congress.  John Boehner will be Speaker.  This could be a good thing.  Don’t get me wrong, I am no Boehner fan, but he has an opportunity to lead and I am pulling for him.  The negative personal attacks that have infested U.S. politics must come to an end.  We can disagree, but to move forward as a nation, civility must return to our political debate.  Speaker designee Boehner has the chance to make the first step.  He does not have to compromise his beliefs and shouldn’t.  Hopefully, he will see the best way to forward his agenda is to treat those who oppose him as equals and, in doing so, find a way to end the gridlock plaguing Washington, for it holds our national future hostage.

In 2008, TV commentator Chris Matthews was ridiculed for saying a speech by candidate Barack Obama had made a “thrill run up his leg.”  Semantics aside, I understood what he meant.  Obama had moved him.  Senator-elect and Tea Party favorite Marco Rubio from Florida has a similar ability to inspire people with words.  His victory speech was the best of the night.  He spoke of what motivated him and of how our success lies in our shared belief for a better country.  I look forward to what he may bring to the Senate.

You may be calling me naïve.  However, the only way for the greatest nation in the world to continue to be great is for us to find a way to consensus.  Demonizing those who disagree with us may be a good way to win an election, but it is no way to build the country we want for the next generation.  The change starts, again, today.

(Graham Gillette can be reached at grahamgillette@gmail.com)