What Does Each ‘Side’ Want?

There are major differences between political rivals…but which overlooked values can be similar?

As a centrist Independent, one of the most unique ongoing experiences in my life is how people from the Left and the Right will individually confide in me about their anger and frustration with “the other side.” Granted, some of them are probably trying to “convert” me to their partisan affiliations. Others, however, may genuinely view me as someone who could identify any topical areas for which there is achievable middle ground.

And, although I’ve voted for Democrats out of necessity during the past three election cycles, it isn’t as though I’m rooting for the Democratic Party to rule the United States indefinitely. I want the Republicans to eventually get back to classical conservatism, sentiments of libertarianism, and fiscal/judicial moderation.

Sadly, that doesn’t appear to be in the cards for them, anytime soon.

But, yes, I would prefer two functional major parties rather than one-party rule.

I’d also prefer at least three political parties over just two political parties.

I’d also prefer four or more political parties over just three political parties.

Unfortunately, such a coalition-style government would require us to fundamentally transform how our democracy works. All of that is a separate discussion for another day.

Until then, how can we work with what we have?

The Basic Differences

So, from my vantage point as a political moderate, how do I assess the general desires of both the Right and the Left in America?

Although individuals can take a variation of positions on specific issues, I believe the paradigm usually goes like this…

Liberals want the federal government to be a steward that protects citizens’ welfare, enforcing progressives’ notions of justice (which, admittedly, can create infighting even amongst parts of the Left itself) in most areas of life, and spending its treasury accordingly (copiously, if necessary).

Conservatives want the federal government to take more of a hands-off approach when regulating people’s lives, allowing states and local municipalities to experiment with certain standards of self-rule, and keeping the budget as lean as possible (with the exception of spending heavily on national security).

Then, there’s a bell curve of numerous points along our ideological spectrum. The Far Left and the Far Right occupy those shrill and vocal fringes. Most Americans actually fall at various points centered along approximately 70%-90% of that bell curve…whether they lean liberal, lean conservative, or fall anywhere in-between.

So then, why do the fringes end up dictating so much of our policy and rule-of-law?

Obviously, one major factor is power. This is why most elected officials refuse to support term limits. They love being able to call the shots from the halls of Congress and statehouses. They want to provide their families with financial security when it comes to potential employment as lobbyists following retirements (or electoral defeats) from political office.

But the other element I believe we too often overlook is fear. What drives power-hoarders to such extremes? In addition to corruption and cronyism, I think many of them are consumed by dwelling on their worst-case scenario anxieties.

Or, more pointedly, those harbored by their constituents and their base voters.

So, let me take a stab at assessing what these intense fears might be. If we can identify (and deconstruct) the nightmares of which politicians and voters are actually afraid — could we make progress in “meeting in the middle” more often?

Even if it isn’t necessarily landing smack in the center while “splitting the difference,” as Pete Buttigieg so often reminds us is a “false choice.”

The Hyperbolic Divide

Let’s go issue-by-issue, and examine some of the worst fears of two binary polar opposite “sides.” Most of these positions tend to become caricatures, in and of themselves.

But they’re there.

Abortion: conservatives are afraid that “abortion-on-demand” will lead to infanticide, while liberals are afraid that abortion will be made illegal everywhere in most/all circumstances.

Energy Independence: conservatives are afraid that the government will mandate usage of unaffordable vehicles and phase out electricity for home energy needs, while liberals are afraid that fossil fuel companies will be incentivized to continue dominating our transportation and utility sectors with unchecked price-gouging.

Climate Change: conservatives are afraid that a heavy-handed EPA will “regulate puddles” and mandate everyone’s fuel sources in a regressive manner, while liberals are afraid that greenhouse gases will spiral out of control as deregulation pollutes and contaminates most of our water sources.

Election integrity: conservatives are afraid that the Left will rig elections in their favor assisted by undocumented people and deceased corpses, while liberals are afraid that the Right will rig elections in their favor by selectively throwing out votes and creating more bureaucracy to suppress underrepresented groups.

Immigration: conservatives are afraid that there will be unlimited immigration of undocumented people via “open borders,” while liberals are afraid that immigration will become rare and laborious administered through systemically-racist standards.

Gun control: conservatives are afraid that all private firearms will be banned across the board, while liberals are afraid that ownership of every type of weapon imaginable will become an unrestricted free-for-all.

Police reform: conservatives are afraid that the police will be abolished entirely and crime will run rampant, while liberals are afraid that the police will be given even more free reign to terrorize citizens with greater militarization and zero accountability.

Affirmative Action: conservatives are afraid that the government will mandate unqualified or underqualified people from marginalized groups to be given automatic advantages in every scenario, while liberals are afraid that marginalized populations will be shut out of employment and educational access entirely.

Sexuality: conservatives are afraid that schools will be permitted to teach kids about sex and gender without any parental consent whatsoever, while liberals are afraid that schools will be prohibited from discussing human sexuality altogether.

Marriage: conservatives are afraid that the government will force churches and private entities to recognize marriages to which private citizens may object, while liberals are afraid that interracial and/or same-sex marriages will be overturned at the whims of local officials across the country.

Censorship: conservatives are afraid that liberals will ban the sharing of center/right beliefs in public venues, while liberals are afraid that conservatives will ban the sharing of center/left beliefs in public venues.

Health Care: conservatives are afraid that everyone will be forced into a one-size-fits all socialistic health care model leading to medical-rationing and “death panels,” while liberals are afraid that public health care systems will be deregulated to the point where those without significant wealth have no other option than to “get sick and die.”

National Debt: conservatives are afraid that the national debt will balloon to the point where the economy completely collapses, while liberals are afraid that public services will be cut down to nothing under the pretense of keeping the national debt under control.

What’s The Path Forward?

Either the political/media gatekeepers on “both sides” are each manipulating these worst-case scenario fears, in order to keep all of us pitted against one another…

…or, too many people on “both sides” genuinely do fear these scenarios. That fear itself prevents them from trying to meet “the other side” halfway.

A critical mass of people assume that those who disagree with them will never be open to any forms of compromise.

Thus, everybody tends to go into a rigorous debate assuming their opponent is viewing it as a zero-sum game. People expect bad-faith arguments, so they aren’t even thinking in terms of “What are our common interests?”

None of this suggests there are going to be easy answers to most problems.

But we need to quit assuming that complete strangers are necessarily wishing for pain and heartache to befall anybody who disagrees with them.

I explored this misconception in an op-ed piece of mine from this past summer:

For any of these public policy debates, the starting point should be…

“What are *you* most worried about? What am *I* most worried about? Is there a compromise or a hybrid solution that can meet both of our needs? What would its legislative blueprint look like?”

I could write a dozen more articles about how the sausage would be made, in terms of enacting any of these hypothetical policy solutions.

But let’s try starting from a place of mutual compassion, for a change — and see where that leads us!

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