Nonpartisan Non Sequitur?
non·par·ti·san
ˌnänˈpärdizən/
adjective: non-partisan;
- not biased or partisan, especially toward any particular political group
- synonyms: unbiased, impartial, neutral, objective
"the moderator must remain nonpartisan throughout the debates"
Some of my friends who are attracted to the values and platform of the United Utah Party say that one of the things they like about the party is that it is nonpartisan.
Well…not exactly.
What I think they mean and find appealing is that the United Utah Party is not beholden to old entrenched institutional interests, and is not hell-bent on standing in chronic opposition to another party it brands as its polar opposite and eternal foe.
Make no mistake: The United Utah Party is a political party. So, by definition, its members are partisan. They are not unaffiliated Independents. They are not wishy-washy rubes who have no bedrock principles or core political philosophy.
They are passionate in their political beliefs. They have an agenda. They want a government that is focused on practical solutions to the real problems that face our nation, state and communities.
They call for government reform that furthers greater responsiveness, accountability, and transparency. They want that transparency in the way bills are drawn, in open legislative caucus meetings, through ethics reform, open primary elections, term limits, campaign finance limits and independent redistricting.
These partisan Uniters measure victories based on positive outcomes for the greatest numbers of people, regardless of party affiliations. For them, the We in “We the people” is still an inclusive societal We, not an exclusive, tribal We.
That hardly qualifies as nonpartisan. In fact, in today’s political climate, it may qualify as radical.