I have a vague memory from my childhood which related to me an important lesson about politics (and really all of life). I suppose Ronald Reagan was president at the time and I knew enough about politics to know that my parents were pretty firmly in the Republican camp. On one occasion, I remember hearing my dad say something critical of Reagan. I could not hide my surprise: I thought we were Republicans - how can we be critical of a fellow Republican? Dad explained that sharing a political belief with someone does not automatically insulate against criticism where it is warranted.
Even though I was young and hardly paying attention to politics, I had already picked up on the basic framing of American political discussions: my side must always be portrayed as right, smart and good, the other side as wrong, stupid and/or evil. No criticism of my own team is allowed, and not an ounce of generosity to the other team.
Dad's willingness to call out failings on his own side of the aisle deeply impressed me. It is something today's political climate could use a whole lot more of.
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