As presidents, Ronald Reagan and Bill Clinton were poles apart ideologically. But both also proved to be enormously popular; they were leaders who still are pointed to with pride by their respective political parties today.
Why?
Likely it had something to do with generosity of spirit. Reagan exuded confidence in his own views, but never contempt for the ideas of his political opponents. Clinton, for his part, famously "triangulated" to win Reagan Democrats back to the fold, signing welfare reform and other key Republican-backed initiatives into law.
In North Dakota, a small but fascinating episode in that kind of politics unfolded over the past few weeks. We were pleased to see state Sen. Ray Holmberg, R-Grand Forks, choose the "generosity of spirit" approach.
As Mike Jacobs, the Herald's former publisher and editor, describes, Holmberg chairs Legislative Management, the group that organizes the Legislature's work between sessions. And last week, Chairman Holmberg faced a choice: Follow the practice of the previous four years, and appoint almost all Republicans to lead interim committees; or follow the practice of the 30 years before that, and give some chairmanships to Democrats, the minority party in both houses.
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Holmberg chose the latter. Good: It's right to downplay partisanship to some extent during the time between sessions. It's right because respecting minority views is not a weakness of American democracy. It's a tremendous strength, and Holmberg was smart to see that North Dakota is better off when all residents - Republicans and Democrats alike - feel they have a real say in the workings of state government.
Significantly, former House Majority Leader Earl Strinden, also Republican and also from Grand Forks, agrees with this view. By "appointing members of the minority to chair some interim committees, (Holmberg) is upholding a longstanding and valued legislative policy," Strinden wrote in his letter to the editor to the the Herald.
Meanwhile, current House Majority Leader Al Carlson strongly disagrees, claiming the majority party shouldn't hesitate to fully exercise its power. That's a tradition in American governance, all right. But it's not the best tradition-the tradition that sees how Americans yearn for policies that win broad bipartisan support.
Holmberg's approach costs Republicans nothing-the party still retains the lion's share of seats on all interim committees, after all-while it wins Democratic leaders' gratitude and respect. That's the way to build coalitions, and coalitions are the key to policies that supermajorities of North Dakotans will endorse.
