In response to Politico’s assertion that Lindsay Graham might be “too green for the GOP”
There are many more Republicans on Capitol Hill that want to act on climate than say so publicly, and there are many more who understand the human role. The divisive politics the two parties wage against each other, and the fundraising mechanics that drives our elections keeps most of them from speaking up, joining coalitions, or becoming the pioneers their conscience urges them to be. Most members of Congress are also aware that only 3% of voters under 35 look favorably on climate science denial; they know the time to act is past-due, and they will need to join the effort, soon. We (all citizens, and all climate policy advocates) need to start finding ways to let them emerge into the sunlight.
The vision of the GOP as a uniform and militant anti-climate machine is a myth.
Once we put aside such facile and presumptuous political reasoning, we can start to see each human being we engage with as a human being, and starting from there, we can find our way to real shared values. The most important values are universal, and it is the insistence that they are not that stops us from seeing how we can come together, lead together, and solve big problems together. Many will choose another course; but if you want to secure a brighter future for our nation, for our children and for the world, then you can put aside such cliche and such bias and start relating to people as people. Everyone is on a journey, and in the end, most people, especially those who are serving in public office, just want to do what is right.
The Poet Economist 