Midlands Voices: This week's elections warned both parties about their extremism

Virginia and New Jersey voters are sending a strong message to both parties. It is simple: “It is time to get something done. Petty politics must stop. We will support candidates who are committed to bipartisanship. We don’t care what political party a candidate belongs to.” If this were not the case, the elections in both states would not have been so close.

The Democrats can no longer successfully run solely on the anti- Trump message. Republicans can no longer attach themselves to Trump and hope to win close elections. It is a fool’s errand to predict what will happen in the midterms. What is certain is that if government on all levels fails to address the needs of voters, there is no political consultant who can message their way out of these failures.

After years of dysfunctional government, the voters have had it. When I served in Congress, I was a member of the “No Labels Caucus” that was committed to engaging elected official of both parties in collaborative dialogue. Both Kyrsten Sinema and Joe Manchin were members. The Problem Solvers Caucus is an outgrowth of that effort. Rep. Don Bacon is a senior member of the Problem Solvers Caucus and was recently named as the most independent member of the House. Both parties would be wise to follow the problem-solving approach.

It’s not difficult to see why the public has lost trust in elected officials. Too often those in elected office don’t think for themselves. Too often, the sole goal in an election is to ensure the other party cannot enact any part of their agenda. That attitude is just plain wrong. There are plenty of issues on which to disagree. However, voters will no longer stand for the negativity and name calling of an opponent that plays to social media and divides the country into unmoving forces committed destroying opponents over passing legislation.

Reaching common ground assumes collaboration between those who have different priorities and goals. That is what bipartisanship means.

The representatives of the extremes of both parties could care less about moderate problem-solvers in either political party. There is no political price to pay in “safe” districts for taking their extreme positions, those congressional districts considered solidly red or solidly blue. It takes courage for members like my former colleague Adam Kinzinger to take on the extremism of Donald Trump. Members like many others in both parties must be encouraged to stay in the game and follow Adam’s example.

Politics is tough. Trust us when we say that following the party line of either party makes it easier to raise money, reach voters, and be rewarded with powerful committee assignments. The difficulty the Democratic leadership is having in passing their “Build Back Better” agenda is what happens when they allow extremists control the agenda. The result is gridlock.

The lesson of Virginia to political parties, candidates and officeholders is that voters will not accept politics as usual. Frank Luntz, a well-respected pollster and campaign consultant, opined afterward that the Problem Solvers Caucus is now the most powerful force in Congress.

I hope he is right. If he isn’t, the voters will respond in a very unpredictable way that no political party, special interest or candidate can control.