Bipartisan support in local politics

We seem to live in an ever-increasing political state of division. But I think it’s an illusion caused by the far-right and far-left and the media that is constantly scrambling for viewers. There are lots of dog-whistles being blown that raise hackles and get people frothing at the mouth about some lefty-libtard or some right-wing-nutjob.

But I don’t think that’s where the majority lives. And it certainly hasn’t historically been where the majority lives. Some of us are old enough to remember how closely Republicans and Democrats worked to pass important legislation on the federal level. (here is a link to historical bipartisan-ship https://bipartisanpolicy.org/history-of-bipartisanship/). And on the local level, traditionally party didn’t matter as it seems to matter so much to some these days. It was once ‘county over party’ or ‘city over party’ and deeply ingrained ideologies didn’t worm their way into the dealings of local government.

One of the reasons I am supporting Jack Miller is because he isn’t being held aloft by one tribe, like Simba in the Lion King as the great and only savior for this county. He was approached to run by Democrat and Republican voters alike because we are wanting to find our way back to the place where party and ideology isn’t being placed over county/city/citizen.

I’ve heard Jack being called a RINO (Republican in Name Only) as if that is an insult on down-ballot elections like Commissioners/City Council/Port elections. Down-ballot elections shouldn’t be responded to with the hard-core ideologies that we’ve see of late. Local issues are rarely driven by the same engines as federal elections are and we need local people taking care of the local people’s business with ALL the local people’s interest at the forefront. So, when a candidate has the support of people from both parties, I’d say that’s a win for us all.

When ideologies keep leaders from seeing or hearing or acknowledging their neighbors in our small community, then something isn’t working right. When ideologies cause leaders to speak disparagingly of neighbors that don’t vote, look, worship or love as they do, then something isn’t working.

Exclusion in small communities isn’t sustainable. We need leaders that are willing to be supported by members of the opposite party. We need leaders that are not so entrenched in their ideologies that they reject, outright, anything that comes from the opposite party. We need leaders that the opposite party is willing to step out of their entrenched beliefs to offer support to and see as a leader for ALL of Columbia County citizens. This is how to accomplish and move ahead. Jack Miller is supported by Republican and Democrats in this county and that is quite amazing in such divisive times.

I’m voting for Jack Miller, County Commissioner, Position #3 in November.

Vicki Zoller,

Dayton, Wash.