Two former office holders known as moderates, the Honorables Chris Sununu and Jon Tester agreed that extremism and money are making political compromise and good government almost unknown in Washington, D.C., today. But each said in a moderated conversation with Michigan Public’s Zoe Clark that a return to moderation is possible and desirable.
Both agree that moderates such as themselves are an endangered species due to the damage that excess money in politics and extremists on both sides are doing to our national life. As Sununu said, extremism has gotten out of hand, and Tester said that sitting office holders are afraid to do anything for fear of having whatever they do used against them in their next election.
Tester told the audience, “When I first got elected to the Senate, 2007 was my first session, there were far more moderates then than there is now, because, quite frankly, who are the easiest people to pick off, whether it’s a moderate Republican or moderate Democrat, it’s the moderates.”
And Sununu added, “We’ve created a system where you have to defend your own flank, as opposed to fighting the other party.”
But each agreed compromise is possible. Sununu cited his ability to get his budget approved in an evenly divided state legislature.
“I had the largest legislature in the country, 400 members, my last term I had 201 Republicans and 199 Democrats, and under the national model, you said, well, nothing would ever get done,” Sununu said. “I got my budget passed, first vote unanimous.”
And Tester recalled how he was one of 10 senators who crafted an infrastructure bill through discussion and compromise.
“The 10 of us met so much that in the end, if you would have walked into that room, you would not have known who was a Republican [and] who was a Democrat,” Tester said.
Both agreed that a return to moderation is possible, but it will probably take campaign finance reform to reduce the excessive influence of big money in politics.
“There’s nothing wrong with money in politics,” Sununu said, “but it’s gotten to a level where it’s so disconnected from the result you’re actually looking for, and it’s at such a level that the average voter goes, ‘Well, why am I going to get involved? They’re going to spend $200 million.’ So it just disincentivizes a lot of things.”
And in a final note, Tester called for more honesty in addressing issues.
“I think you need to talk truth to your senators or your house members,” he said. “If they’re doing something that isn’t working, in a very respectful way tell them ‘stop’, because the bottom line is, if they hear it from enough people, they will.”
This session was sponsored by Delta Air Lines.
