Virginia should again lead nation in honorable politics

By Bob Gibson
Published: May 25, 2008

By Bob Gibson

Virginia, sometimes at its own pace, is becoming more like the rest of the world, like it or not.
Our state’s heritage as a beacon of fiscal responsibility is a well-touted hallmark of both political parties, yet appears threatened when partisan gridlock overcomes leaders’ natural desire to advance public policy.
Many Virginians are turned off from politics, as campaigns succumb to lowest-common-denominator norms that have swept the nation’s politics.
The value of civility, virtue of ethical campaigning and some traditions of bipartisan cooperation, already long lost in Washington, now often seem diminished in Richmond and the rest of the Old Dominion as well.
The public values a determination to do better than Washington in these leadership skills.
One uniquely Virginia effort to rise above the tide is the Sorensen Institute for Political Leadership at the University of Virginia.
At the heart of every Sorensen program lie three central themes designed to infuse politics with the common good of ethics in public service, the power of bipartisanship and a deeper understanding of public policy issues.
In its 15 years, Sorensen has become the national model of successful bipartisan leadership training, with more than 1,000 graduates of its two youth and two adult programs.
In the November 2007 elections, a healthy crop of 48 Sorensen graduates won elections across Virginia.
Reflecting its partisan balance as a nonpartisan institute made up of sometimes fierce partisans, 18 were Republicans, 18 were Democrats and 12 won as independents. They know how to work across the partisan aisle.
Every state is still a laboratory for political leadership.
There is no reason Virginia cannot lead our nation in shaping such an ethic of trust, civility and respect to carry the people’s business forward.
None of the ills that beset our politics is Virginia-specific, yet each has been allowed to sweep the state and affect its culture, norms and expectations of public servants.
Virginia’s political fare remains a cut above the average state’s sleaziest servings of red-meat super-partisanship and sui generis sausage but our commonwealth harbors no need to measure itself against the hard bottom.
Our state once led the nation in creating commonly accepted high political values. Virginians again can treasure the pursuit of happiness in the civil exercise of debating and creating public policy.
Just as efforts to fight economic decline and environmental degradation are seen as worthy challenges, so, too, can be Virginia’s efforts to reverse declines in the exercises of public service.
Each decline can be seen as a symptom of a loss of control over our public life and policy, yet each effort to cultivate and export a healthier political norm can make Virginia a better model for political leadership.
Virginia can again set a higher tone in every citizen’s life, liberty and pursuit of happiness.

Bob Gibson is executive director of the Sorensen Institute for Political Leadership at the University of Virginia.