Partisan politics force politicans to act on party lines rather than for the good of those they represent, said Ed Rendell, former governor of Pennsylvania.
During his Tuesday night speech at the Sanford School of Public Policy, Rendell—who was the Democratic governor from 2003 to 2011—discussed current issues faced by the U.S. government and criticized the partisan state of politics. Following the address, the floor opened up to questions from the audience.
“It was an honor to have Governor Rendell speak at Duke,” said senior Matthew Barnett, president of the Public Policy Majors Union. “He did an excellent job of explaining the importance of compromise in politics.”
Rendell criticized both parties for letting political motivations take precedence over the country’s interests, citing Congress’s failure to pass legislation requiring universal background checks and the delay of the current immigration reform bill as examples. After a member of the audience asked Rendell how he could be certain that the legislation in question was not approved due to political considerations, he challenged the audience to think of one reason why universal background checks would not be feasible.
Rendell blamed the recent increase in political partisanship on redistricting, the 24-hour news cycle and the elimination of earmarks. He criticized political parties for their failure to compromise with the opposition.
“If I could do one thing for Washington I’d like to play a song constantly in the hallways of the capital,” he said. “It’s a Mick Jagger song called ‘You Can’t Always Get What You Want.’”
But, he added, if politicians are willing to compromise, they can find solutions.
On the matter of the new health care law, Rendell congratulated President Barack Obama on having the courage to act on a hot-button issue. He encouraged the government to tell senior citizens the truth that Medicare is running out of money and scolded politicians for not trusting Americans with the truth.
“The American people screw up every so often, but most of the time, they get it right,” he said.
Rendell ended the talk on a positive note, encouraging students in the audience to vote and become more civically engaged.
“You’ve got to get out there and teach generation and lead your generation,” he told members of the audience. “You can help us break this political gridlock.”
Many members of the audience responded positively to the talk.
“I lived in Pennsylvania for a while, and I think Rendell was a great governor,” said Maria Broderick, a resident of Durham. “He brought up some very interesting points today, and made us reconsider some as well.”
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