Keep Your Partisanship Out of My Local Elections

Torrey Mortenson

— 4 min read
Keep Your Partisanship Out of My Local Elections

Political exist because of an innate psychological urge for tribalism and association that all humans have. They also check another box on our internal "feel good" checklist, they make us lazy.

I've noticed a ton of partisan dog whistles in this mayoral election, and while I typically am of the opinion that we should leave the conservatives to eat each other this is different because it is a nonpartisan race. First of all, what is a nonpartisan election? Simply, an election where no one is identified or claiming the banner of a political party. Follow up, why do we have nonpartisan city elections? I'll answer this with a question, what is a Republican platform policy for road maintenance? What is the Democratic platform policy for zoning? We don't have partisanship in our city elections because, simply, they are not additive and bring no new information to voters.

I've noticed a lot of claims about Jeff being an extreme right-winger and Lisa being affiliated with Democratic organizations. All of these points are just some hucksters trying to prey on your inherent psychological weakness to tribalism. They want you to take the shortcut of identifying or rejecting based on "your team," rather than interact with policies and real actions that the candidates have suggested. Its disrespectful to all of us as voters, and those people pushing this laziness and trying to leverage your own mind against you should be ashamed. In my day job discipline we call these dark patterns. Dark patterns are typically known as design choices that manipulate your psychology to allow a company to make more money, like hiding the X to close a window or making it hard to cancel a subscription. They are exploitative and unethical.

Now you don't have to just hear my points about partisanship in elections. You might think that its good to know if we have "real conservatives" running. But I would ask, are you not able to listen to a candidate speak about their policies and priorities and make that determination yourself? I hope not. I think you are completely capable of engaging with these topics and coming away with a reasonable judgment, without the need for some external org to rubber stamp the person. I would just say, let's listen to what someone, you may have heard of, thinks about political parties in general.

I have already intimated to you the danger of parties in the State, with particular reference to the founding of them on geographical discriminations. Let me now take a more comprehensive view, and warn you in the most solemn manner against the baneful effects of the spirit of party generally.

This spirit, unfortunately, is inseparable from our nature, having its root in the strongest passions of the human mind. It exists under different shapes in all governments, more or less stifled, controlled, or repressed; but, in those of the popular form, it is seen in its greatest rankness, and is truly their worst enemy.

- George Washington, Farewell Address 1796

The only leader in American history that legitimately could have become a king and declined is acknowledging this weakness in our psychology and encouraging us to resist the easy path! He then points out how parties develop into a cult of personality that is the greatest risk to our governmental system possible.

The alternate domination of one faction over another, sharpened by the spirit of revenge, natural to party dissension, which in different ages and countries has perpetrated the most horrid enormities, is itself a frightful despotism. But this leads at length to a more formal and permanent despotism. The disorders and miseries which result gradually incline the minds of men to seek security and repose in the absolute power of an individual; and sooner or later the chief of some prevailing faction, more able or more fortunate than his competitors, turns this disposition to the purposes of his own elevation, on the ruins of public liberty. [Emphasis added]

Without looking forward to an extremity of this kind (which nevertheless ought not to be entirely out of sight), the common and continual mischiefs of the spirit of party are sufficient to make it the interest and duty of a wise people to discourage and restrain it.

I just don't see how resorting to base psychological impulses, the likes of which are responsible for nearly all of the horrific events in world history, is valuable in our local elections. We are better than that. We are smarter than the parties give us credit for. And we don't need the Bonneville GOP or anyone else to help us decide our own minds about road maintenance, or parks, or water. I'll close with my favorite part of Washington's address. Its especially prescient in our current times where people feel more distanced than ever and have fell into all manner of associations and discriminations that seek to capture how we are different.

The name of American, which belongs to you in your national capacity, must always exalt the just pride of patriotism more than any appellation derived from local discriminations. With slight shades of difference, you have the same religion, manners, habits, and political principles.

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