Bipartisan governors want Americans to ‘disagree better’ over politics

A bipartisan pair of governors is pushing for Americans to “disagree better” when it comes to politics.  

“We know that politics is downstream of culture. And so this is not something that’s going to change overnight, but we do believe it’s absolutely critical,” said Utah Gov. Spencer Cox (R) in an interview with CNN’s Dana Bash on “State of the Union.” “The good news is that there are some numbers that show that there is a growing majority of Americans that are tired of toxic disagreement, the divisiveness of tearing each other down, but they’re actually looking for something better.”  

Cox, the new chair of the National Governors Association, said governors are “uniquely positioned” to take on the initiative. He and Colorado Gov. Jared Polis (D), who serves as vice chair of the National Governors Association and appeared with Cox on CNN, said they are working with universities to understand “the science behind depolarization.”  

When asked what the Democratic Party should do better in terms of political disagreement, Polis said the party needs to have “authentic conversations” when disagreements arise.  

 “What does that mean? It means, don’t question the motives. Republicans, Democrats, independents are good Americans, right?” Polis said. “But, go ahead, put the issues on the table, talk about what works, what doesn’t work.”  

Bash asked Cox how he plans to change discourse with former President Trump as a “dominant force,” in the Republican Party. “According to every poll, he is someone [who] routinely spreads lies and demonizes those who disagree with him,” Bash said.  

“The polling shows that 60 percent of Republicans aren’t crazy about their front-runner, and 70 percent of Democrats aren’t crazy about their front-runner,” Cox said.

“We’re kind of sleepwalking into this election that nobody is excited about, and nobody wants,” he added, noting that he hopes to provide counterprogramming to the national discourse.  

Cox also said he believes most Americans think of the upcoming election as the “most divisive election of our lifetimes.”  

The calls for more centrist political discussion can be heard on Capitol Hill too, with Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) pushing for centrist candidates in 2024. In an interview with radio talk show host John Catsimatidis on WABC 770 AM’s “The Cats Roundtable,” Manchin argued the country was “not designed to be this divided.”  

Manchin said those the “average common-sense people,” are left “poltically homeless,” as both parties lean towards the extreme sides of the political spectrum.  

Speculation over a third-party presidential bid for Manchin was further fueled last week when he headlined a town hall sponsored by No Labels, an organization advocating for a third-party candidate.