‘We Need to Do Better’: Democrat Cuts Ad For Republican Governor’s Initiative to Fight ‘Toxic’ Partisanship In The U.S.

Democratic Governor of Colorodao Jared Polis dropped an ad this week in support of Republican Utah Gov. Spencer Cox’s “disagree better” campaign aimed at breaking the cycle of rampant polarization in the U.S.

Cox, who is the head of the National Governors Association (NGA), launched the initiative last month and noted that his efforts to tamp down partisanship are not being welcomed by all 50 governors. “Not every governor is going to think this is a good idea for their careers,” he told Axios at the time.

Polis, who serves as the NGA’s vice chairman, is all in on the idea, however.

“People across our country have always had disagreements about issues. But what’s most important is how you resolve those differences. And that’s where, as a country, we need to do better,” he said in an ad he shared online Wednesday.

“And this initiative from Governor Cox is really about helping ensure that people can come together to have discussions and disagreements the right way rather than engaging in name-calling and worse. It’s important to listen to all sides because all of the deeply held opinions that people hold can’t really come from a place of carrying a piece of love,” continued Polis, adding:

And making sure that we don’t cast aspersions on the motivations of other people. Try to cut to the issues and work out where we can, how we can make life better. I would ask Americans to love one another. To reach out to your neighbors, your friends, your others who might not agree with you on every issue and realize that they love America too. We all love this great country and we want the best for it. And that’s something that fundamentally unites us. Together, we can disagree better.

Cox’s plan is to “use open debates, service projects, public service announcements, and other strategies to promote civil discourse over hotly contested issues facing Americans,” added Axios. Cox’s events will focus on policy solutions for immigration in particular, an issue Cox has long vowed to work on.

“There is a growing majority of Americans that are tired of the toxic disagreement, the divisiveness of tearing each other down, that they’re actually looking for something better. Governors are uniquely positioned to take this on in that we we actually have to get stuff done. We work together. We learn from each other. We are the laboratories of democracy. And so we’re going to take messages like this and we’re going to do everything we can over the course of the next year to elevate this conversation,” Cox told CNN’s Dana Bash last month.

Cox appeared on CNN with Polis and Bash asked the Colorado governor what Democrats need to do better.

“Well, I think it’s about at the individual level. We need to really have authentic conversations with those that we disagree with. And what does that mean? It means don’t question the motives,” Polis replied, adding that we all need to recognize “Republicans, Democrats, independents are good Americans.”

Watch the full clips above.

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