EDITORIAL: Bridging gaps: Bipartisan friendships in era of polarization
On September 10, singer-songwriter Taylor Swift officially endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris. This reflects a trend in Swift's political involvement with her increasingly supporting Democratic candidates and calling out Republicans.
What stands out is that this endorsement happened after one of Swift's friends, Brittany Mahomes, seemingly showed her support for former President Donald J. Trump. Some Swifties expected Swift to cut ties with Mahomes due to Mahomes' decision to support Trump.
Yet, it seems like the Swift-Mahomes friendship has remained strong. But it does bring up a valid question of forming friendships with those who politically disagree with you.
This would not be the first time we have seen bipartisan friendships form. Former Supreme Court Justices Ruth Bader Ginsburg and Antonin Scalia were well-known for having a deep friendship, even though they were on opposite ends of the political spectrum.
This issue of politics and friendships has seemingly infected the U.S. overall. 77 percent of Trump supporters in 2020 said that they had few or no friends who supported then-candidate Joseph R. Biden Jr. Similarly, 77 percent of Biden supporters in 2020 said that they had few or no friends who supported then-incumbent Trump.
Why is it the case that friendships are becoming more divided by party lines?
One explanation is due to the political polarization that has happened over the years. Media ecosystems allow one to exclusively consume news from one side. This creates echo chambers and epistemic bubbles where people do not get their views challenged and, thus, do not seek out oppositional voices.
What makes this political polarization worse is how deeply intertwined culture is with politics. As both Republican and Democratic politicians insert themselves into the culture wars, no longer are political disagreements just relegated to marginal tax rates — they reflect something much deeper.
One's political affiliation could instead serve as a signal to one's views on whether specific identities are valid and certain rights should be protected. With politics affecting personal lives, having a difference in political opinion is now a much more significant indicator of these values and views.
With some of these root causes mentioned, it is worth examining the impact of these divisions.
The growing political polarization has led to an increase in political violence. During this presidential election campaign, Trump has faced two assassination attempts. Similarly, Harris has also faced political violence against her, most notably when her campaign office in Arizona was attacked with gunfire.
When this kind of political polarization happens, coupled with ideologically siloing oneself, people lose perspective and see political opposition as an enemy. This can fuel dangerous rhetoric to grow and become normalized, leading to fringe members of society acting upon these words.
Both sides probably do not want a cycle of political violence to happen. If so, what can be done to solve this problem?
Listening to the other side is one of the best ways to start. It does feel good when our views are affirmed constantly, but that can often block understanding of the other side. Part of being a good friend is listening to the other person and being open to their perspective.
As former Sen. Trent Lott (R-Miss.) said when talking about his friendship with former Sen. Tom Daschle (D-S.D.), "He's a liberal prairie populist … I'm a Southern conservative. His hero is John F. Kennedy. Mine is Reagan. We know that. You can disagree without being disagreeable, to use the old quote."
That does not mean that you have to agree with everything they say. Just like a friendship, there is room for healthy disagreement in politics. But the first step is to gain an understanding of their views.
What can also be helpful is recognizing commonalities between both sides. For as much as it seems that both sides are diametrically opposed to each other, stepping away from the talking heads and provocateurs reveals that there are plenty of public policy positions that majorities on both sides support.
This can be best exemplified by former Rep. Barbara Comstock (R-Va.) and Rep. Debbie Dingell (D-Mich.), who were able to work together on several issues that often affect women, like sexual harassment and breast cancer research.
Additionally, sometimes, putting politics to the side can generate healthy relationships. There is an entire world outside of politics that both sides can enjoy. Going back to Ginsburg and Scalia, both were big fans of the opera.
It is easy to see these bipartisan friendships as oddities that are impossible to obtain. But it is something that everyone is capable of doing. In a world where friendships are declining, we should try to connect with others. Try not to let one's political affiliation serve as the be-all and end-all of your friendship decisions.
The Daily Targum's editorials represent the views of the majority of the 156th editorial board. Columns, cartoons and letters do not necessarily reflect the views of the Targum Publishing Company or its staff.
