Larry D. Lauer

Republicans and Democrats are talking mostly to themselves. Issues debates are about one party appearing to win out over the other. And in such situations the best interest of the country becomes secondary. Ideology trumps rationality.

The current shutdown debate contains too many different issues. The outcome is a mess which no outside observer can understand. Each of these issues should have been addressed earlier, separately, and rationally. But we are learning that rational problem-solving is virtually impossible in a one party dominated congress, even though conventional wisdom might suggest otherwise. And we also have a president who makes the situation worse by choosing disruption and chaos over unifying leadership.

More statesman-like progress was possible back in the day when both parties were more evenly represented and presidents were more rational. Granted, sometimes shutdowns occurred. But back then elected officials moved their whole families to Washington. Spouses and children got to know each other in schools and grocery stores. And people from both parties got to know and like each other at weekend social events. The result was that cross-party friendships developed into more bipartisan cooperation. And in such a setting the reason for any shutdown was more clear, and what could stop it was as well.

Most legislators now spend no more than 4 days each week in Washington. Much of that time is spent on the phone raising money. Then, it’s off to home over the weekend to schmooze with big donors. This pattern has grown into a meanness of spirit and polarization that has overtaken Washington. The outcome is that these people simply don’t like each other very much. Debates are brutal, and win-win outcomes are all but impossible.

Most of us know that in the real world complex problem-solving is a grey area endeavor. The best solutions are always the result of bringing the most informed and talented experts together in a give-and-take process. And while initial solutions are rarely final, fixes can always be found later. After all, what organization or business could function very long if extreme ideology disputes constantly paralyzed rational decision-making rendering incremental progress impossible?