Dear family

The last Wednesday morning I felt such disconnect between sky and soul was Sept. 12, 2001. Today, as then, dawned sunny, clear and warm, a climatological feat for early November in southern Wisconsin. Both then and now, the cloudless sky masks a mood of despondency.

Regardless of where our Electoral College takes us, we are a troubled lot. I'm no political scientist, but tell me if this seems true:

"Conservatives" disdain "liberals" because of their perception of government overreach, hyper-regulation, infringement of personal freedom, and bureaucracy run amok. This seems to be a reasonable perspective held by rational people.  

"Anti-Trump" voters disdain "Trump supporters" because they can't comprehend how reasonable, rational people can support an elected official who is politically incoherent, openly conspiratorial, intentionally divisive, and narcissistically incapable of recognizing truth. This seems to be a reasonable perspective held by rational people.

The identifications in "scare quotes," to me, indicate why there is no compromise. We're not having the same conversation. 

Those who identify as conservatives dismiss Trump's errant behavior because he has coalesced their anger against the common enemies he has contrived: the political establishment, media and science. He declares himself the unequivocal kingpin against those foes. 

Those who identify as anti-Trump cannot fathom how their friends and family support a president whose behavior would not be accepted in civil conversation at their own family dinner table with their children watching.

Am I wrong about these two characterizations?

There are, of course, dedicated statesmen and stateswomen who can vigorously debate governance according to reasonable progressive and conservative principles. 

But when a conservative sees a Biden T-shirt, they think: Liberal elite snowflake. 

When an anti-Trumper sees a MAGA hat, they think: How can you support this cruel, obnoxious braggart?

[This is where the economy is offered as justification for the current president's qualifications for office. It is worth studying economic growth during the presidencies of Truman onward. Can we agree the economy itself is neither Republican nor Democrat?]

I don't know how to bridge these divides. 

If "politics" denotes the set of activities associated with making decisions in groups, governing the relationships among individuals in a society for their common good, then politics are certainly debatable but not inherently vitriolic.

Bob Hood used to say (I'm told) that a person needs the chance to draw their neck in gracefully now and again. Ann can correct my misquote. The idea is to create a space of quiet reflection before re-engaging conversation.

In history, an interregnum was the period between regimes following a particularly difficult reign.

We as a country need an interregnum. We need a timeout. A chance to draw our neck in gracefully.

I have spent equal time in disbelief and anger the past four years. Today, I am simply crestfallen. It's not because anyone has won or lost. We don't even know the outcome yet. 

It's the realization that if we don't change ourselves, it won't matter much who wins.