Washington Post columnist E.J. Dionne laid out why he believes the 2016 race and U.S. politics have become bitterly divided.
Dionne’s lecture was the annual Manatt-Phelps Lecture in Political Science, sponsored by the department of political science, the Carrie Chapman Catt Center and the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences.
Dionne was introduced by Beate Schmittmann, dean of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, ISU President Steven Leath and Lissandra Villa, senior in journalism and mass communication.
Dionne, a twice-weekly columnist for the Post, approached his argument in his “Our Divided Politics” lecture Wednesday by laying out two differing arguments in U.S. politics — often viewed as individualism vs. community.
“We are in a very challenging time in our history,” Dionne said.
He quoted Ronald Reagan when talking about how individual liberty cannot be protected unless the country comes together, though, before explaining why he believes the Republican Party in particular is so divided or unwilling to compromise.
“The last 100 years are something I like to call a ‘long consensus,'” Dionne said. “Over the past 20 years, we’ve had [an argument] about whether we end that consensus. This election is a fundamental choice.”
Dionne, even as a self-described liberal, said he understands the importance of having a strong alternative — in this case a conservative or Republican Party.
He said he believes the current dissatisfaction among conservative or Republican voters is based on the fact that GOP politicians have not been able to keep campaign — such as rolling back the size of the federal government, reversing cultural and social changes to the country and the racial makeup of the United States.
The lack of change even though change was promised has caused voters to become fed up with the Republican Party or politics in general, which may explain the rise of a candidate like Donald Trump, Dionne said.
Dionne said people often see a debate currently in politics on whether the United States is headed down a dark, or “gloomy,” path or whether United States is “still is great.”
Even though he is on the progressive side of politics, Dionne said he wishes there were more conservatives who rejected the “gloomy” argument and see government as a positive force while remaining conservative.
A question-and-answer session followed his speech. One question focussed on if candidates running for seats in Congress would be affected by a Trump nomination, and Dionne argued that he thinks down-ballot candidates can avoid getting beat. Even in a presidential landslide election, a candidate like Trump could bring problems to GOP candidates who have to defend his comments.
When asked what is one thing he would change about the current political process, Dionne said he would like to get money out of politics, which elicited an applause from the audience.
“I liked how he incorporated jokes into his talk,” said Aurianna Lwin, freshman in journalism and mass communication. It was easy to follow for someone who isn’t good with politics.”
Abbie Oxley, freshman in public relations, said she enjoyed how Dionne incorporated the message of his book to the lecture.
“I agreed with the advice he gave to conservatives about finding balance between individualism and community,” Oxley said.
Dionne’s lecture bounced ideas off of his most recent book, titled “Why the Right Went Wrong: Conservatism from Goldwater to the Tea Party and Beyond.” He signed copies during a meet-and-greet session in the Sun Room after the lecture.
Dionne’s lecture joins a long list of past speakers during the annual program, including ambassadors, members of Congress and notably, Vice President Joe Biden. Dionne was chosen to offer insight as a journalist in the 2016 race, and he often appears on the weekly ABC Sunday morning program “This Week,” as a political commentator on MSNBC and weekly on NPR.
