More often than not, bipartisanship leads to bad policy. Splitting the difference between two distinct courses of action won’t give you a golden mean or happy middle path—it will set you on the road to ruin. Is the best way to deal with the current economic downturn massive deficit spending, or massive tax cuts? Sensible people disagree, but one thing is certain is that a half-measure of each is guaranteed to make the situation worse.
Worse, the fetish for consensus is liable to be counterproductive, generating a political culture that is more partisan and polarized. If your political opponent knows you are committed to a bipartisan splitting of the difference between his position and yours, the sensible strategy is for him to tack as far out into his ideological home waters as possible. This was the explicit Republican strategy during the 1990s, when the party reacted to every Democratic initiative by staking out a position as far to the right as they could. This moved the political “centre” ever further to the right, toward which the triangulating Bill Clinton dutifully followed.
But probably the worst knock-on effect of bipartisan politics is that it undermines democratic accountability. Elections are about deciding who shall govern, and governing is largely about choosing between competing interests, policies, and directions. Partisanship is an essential element of democratic politics, and while many find it distasteful, it is an excellent mechanism for apportioning praise when things go well, and blame when they don’t.
Thankfully, Obama clearly sees that the flip side of “splitting the difference” is “spreading the blame,” while the flip side of “I won” is “hold me accountable.” Just this week he signed an order—in the teeth of strong Republican opposition—opening the way for more embryonic stem cell research. And while the House minority leader John Boehner railed against Obama for “futher dividing our nation at a time when we need greater unity,” the President shows no sign of backsliding and trying to curry favour with Republicans just for the sake of appearances.
Obama swept to power by attaching a pretty face and some prettier words to two of the oldest clichés in politics—change, and unity—which also happen to be rather incompatible ideas. To the extent that change is desirable, it will only be foiled by attempts at cross-party outreach. The fact that Obama knew which idea to jettison as quickly as possible is a testament to his sound political judgment, and regardless of how the stimulus package turns out, a sign of hope for the future of democracy in America.
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