Event: Zócalo in Scottsdale: Are Political Parties Hurting Our Democracy?

From Zocalo Public Square -

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 19, 2012, 7:00 PM

Zócalo in Scottsdale: Are Political Parties Hurting Our Democracy?Mickey Edwards

According to surveys, most Americans are pretty close to the middle on most issues—a fact that hasn’t changed much over time. The problem with American politics today, argues former Oklahoma Republican Congressman Mickey Edwards, isn’t that we’re extreme; it’s that we’re partisan. What creates political gridlock aren’t deep differences in principle but shallow calculations of party advantage. And even when both parties agree on what to do, one party will sabotage the other for trying to do it. But it hasn’t always been this way, and it doesn’t have to continue. What can be done? Edwards, author of The Parties Versus the People: How to Turn Republicans and Democrats Into Americans, visits Zócalo to discuss his ideas for breaking the partisan stranglehold on our democracy by fundamentally restructuring both our elections and our governing systems.

The event will take place at Scottsdale Museum of Contemporary Art, 7374 E 2nd Street in Scottsdale.  The event is free, but reservations are required.  They can be made here.

I disagree with the premise here - I think that the basis of most of that which ails our political system is apathy on the part of a significant percentage, perhaps even a majority, of voters.  That apathy allows certain unscrupulous people to operate with relative impunity, and when one of those people is caught, the apathetic ones are briefly roused from their sleep, point fingers and blame the bad apple who was sloppy enough to be caught doing bad things and the system that "allowed" bad things to happen.

They never look in the mirror when they are pointing fingers.

Still, it should be an interesting evening - discussion is good, and based on my past experience with Zocalo Public Square, the discussion will be both informed and civil.