SALT LAKE CITY, Utah, July 14, 2023 (Gephardt Daily) — Utah Gov. Spencer Cox is using his new platform as chair of the National Governors Association to help Americans learn to “disagree better.”
“There’s an exhausted majority of Americans out there who are discouraged by the ugliness of our politics today,” Cox said from the NGA’s annual meetings in Atlantic City, New Jersey. “The divisiveness undermines our success as a nation and hurts our relationships with friends and family. We don’t all have to agree on every issue, but we have to find a way to disagree better.”
Cox was elected Friday as chair of the NGA, making him the voice of the bipartisan group of 55 state, territory and commonwealth leaders for the next year.
The Utah governor began his tenure as chair by introducing his “Disagree Better: Healthy Conflict for Better Policy” initiative, which he described as “taking the Utah Way to the national stage — the idea that we can find ways to come together and get things done.”
“Governors work together across party lines every day, and we have a unique opportunity and obligation to demonstrate how to find solutions and solve problems instead of endlessly bickering,” Cox said. “My fellow governors from both red and blue states are ready to lead toward a more positive and optimistic way of working through our problems.”
The NGA plans to promote the initiative with governors setting examples for a more positive approach to political and social discourse in public debates. The initiative also includes planned service projects and public service announcements.
“Elected officials and citizens alike all have a role to play in making our political debates more civil and functional,” said Colorado Gov. Jared Polis, the NGA’s new vice chair. “We can disagree without attacking each other. With extreme partisanship grinding progress to a halt in Washington, it is more important than ever that governors be the adults in the room and remind Americans that it’s possible to work together and achieve good results.”
Cox also shared a video message on social media to explain his ideas for “disagreeing better, not disagreeing less.”
“When we engage in healthy, honest dialogue, we avoid demonizing others, and we’re more likely to find solutions. And I’m not just talking about civility. Being nicer is important, but I’m talking about learning the right kind of conflict,” he said.
“Instead of calling names, be curious. Listen more. Attack ideas, not people. Treating each other with respect and dignity instead of contempt can be hard, and I don’t always get it right. But over the next year, I’m hoping we can work together to do better. Democrats and Republicans, liberals, conservatives and everything in between, please join us. And remember, nothing is less American than hating our fellow Americans. But harnessing our differences to get things done — that’s as American as it gets.”
