A Maryland state flag waves near the state house in Annapolis, Md., Jan. 8, 2020.
Photo:
Julio Cortez/Associated Press
Annapolis, Md.
The chaos around the vote for House speaker showed again how our politics have devolved into a circus in which drama on Twitter and cable news is a bigger priority than getting things done. The future of the Republican Party and our nation doesn’t have to be this way.
In 2014 I was a populist outsider businessman fed up with the career politicians in Annapolis who had raised taxes 40 times in eight years and run the state’s economy into a ditch. I was elected by the same voters who would support Donald Trump: working-class and suburban men and women who were understandably disillusioned with our political leadership. Like me, they’d had enough and were demanding change.
I leave office Wednesday having achieved what my administration set out to do eight years ago. Maryland has seen one of the greatest economic turnarounds in the U.S., thanks to our cutting taxes by nearly $4.7 billion and turning a $5.1 billion structural budget deficit into a record $5.5 billion in reserves. The coalition supporting our effort grew remarkably, with nearly 70% of every demographic—including Republicans, Democrats and independents—approving of the job we’ve done.
It is still possible to lead and bring people together in this hyperpolarized environment, and my experience in Maryland offers key lessons:
• Persuasion starts with respect. In my first inaugural address, I said Maryland’s “culture of tolerance and mutual respect must also extend to those with whom we happen to differ on politics.” At every turn, we’ve tried to maintain that same spirit. As our country has become more tribal, too many have bought into the false notion that persuading voters on the other side is a waste of time. Our politicians have regrettably substituted demonization for honest debate.
• Common-sense values still unite. While the media and…
Click Here to Read the Full Original Article at RSSOpinion…