Last edited Tue Sep 16, 2025, 05:11 PM - Edit history (1)
Sure. He's a Republican, but like the other few remaining decent people in that party in state and local government, he has a reputation for engaging in actually finding solutions and finding common ground with Democrats where he can on issues of importance -- like funding a service year after high school. A program that, if given some serious funding, could go a long way to providing opportunities for a whole lot of young people to have a life-changing experience of community service.
I refuse to engage in blanket denigration of people who are engaged in good faith dialog on more issues than not. What we need is a restoration of sanity and willingness to govern for the benefit of the people who elected you. Will there be areas no common ground can be found? Of course! But if more electeds walked in the door with the intent to find common ground and make progress in the areas they do, it would go a long way toward getting back on the road to creating that "more perfect union."
The tragedy is that the reactionary crazies are driving people who are looking to find common ground and make progress out of the Republican Party. I for one am sorry to see people like J.T. Wilcox, a member of the Washington State House, announcing their retirement. Wilcox is a Republican, and subscribes to some policies I think were flat wrong, but he is also an environmental champion who is well respected as a person of deep integrity.
https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/environment/j-t-wilcox-knows-chicken-farming-but-the-state-republican-wa-lawmakers-heart-is-with-salmon/
On edit: To be clear, Charlie Kirk was absolutely not one of those decent people. They can try to paint him as being willing to engage, but I think many people are crystal clear about the truth. Good faith was absent from his "style" of "debate:
Gish galloping and cherry picked "facts" is not being "good" at debate.
https://www.democraticunderground.com/100220628593#post59
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