Moderation Requires Common Framework

I read with great interest the article in the recent Princeton Alumni Weekly about Monica Harris’ attempt to bring moderation to our political discourse.

There is much to be said about progressives and conservatives taking each other’s opinions seriously and with respect. If we were to compare the two sides’ opinions on contentious issues — vaccination, transgender athletes, antisemitism at Harvard, immigrants, the federal bureaucracy, Medicaid, tariffs, and so on — we would find that each side makes some important points and needs to learn from the other. As Ms. Harris points out, we need moderation in place of shrill partisanship.

In order to achieve that result, however, both sides have to agree on a common framework of respect for the law, the Constitution, and the judiciary. In the past, whatever their differences, traditional Democrats and pre-Trump Republicans at least agreed on that common framework.

Where Ms. Harris’ argument fails is that this is no longer the case! The Trump administration has repeatedly shown its willingness to ignore the Constitution and the law and its contempt for the judiciary. When one side uses the power of the government to impose its policies, what hope is there for moderates to bridge the gap between progressives and conservatives on contentious issues?

Ms. Harris’ argument makes sense for traditional political times. In the face of raw power, however, it is blowing in the wind.