Republicans and Democrats on Longboat Key started talking. They hope to be a national model.
Ed Sabol is a retired union organizer and a Democrat from New Jersey. Scott Gray is a retired U.S. Air Force major general and a Republican who was born in Alabama.
Sabol leads the Longboat Key Democratic Club. Gray leads the Longboat Key Republican Club. Until recently their paths had never crossed, but that changed earlier this year when the two clubs set in motion a series of joint discussions that they’ve dubbed the “miracle on the key.”
With Democrats and Republicans locked in an increasingly cutthroat political conflict, many people have grave concerns about the direction the country is headed. They worry that the two major parties are unable to work together for the good of the nation.
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Two Longboat Key clubs decide to do something about America’s political quagmire
Led by Sabol and Gray, the two Longboat Key clubs decided to do something about America’s political quagmire, launching a series of meetings that involved Republicans and Democrats “engaging in thoughtful dialogue, recognizing mutually held beliefs, and embracing differences.”
Their goal is an ambitious one: “securing the survival of our democracy.”
To help accomplish it they brought in Racelle Weiman, a conflict resolution expert who has worked across the world doing mediation.
Weiman has spent time in places ranging from the former Yugoslavia to Rwanda, Southeast Asia and the Middle East. The Sarasota resident has worked on some of the most difficult conflicts of her lifetime.
She welcomed the chance to help bridge America’s political divide, especially after the Jan. 6 storming of the U.S. Capitol.
What happened next may not seem revolutionary, but those involved hope it is the start of something much bigger. They view it as a blueprint for a more civil and constructive political debate.
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First session: Talk about values
Starting early this year, Weiman led a group of four Democrats and four Republicans from the Longboat Key clubs through a series of meetings. They met at condo clubhouses on the key, gathering at least once a month.
Weiman started the first session by getting each side to talk about their values.
“The way she professionally crafted the first meeting was a stroke of genius,” said Gray, adding: “She totally disarmed us. We stayed away from major issues and we became friends.”
The group eventually agreed on a set of common values, including mutual respect, equal opportunity, personal responsibility, truthfulness, nonviolence and nondiscrimination. In the process, they moved beyond party stereotypes and realized they had more in common than they thought.
“When we started talking, you start out with the assumption of: ‘He’s a Republican, I know what he thinks,’” Sabol said. “And then you sit down and talk with the man. He’s got different opinions on different issues, just like I do. You can’t paint everybody with this one brush.”
Still, there were tense moments.
“We got to places that were really uncomfortable,” Weiman said.
The conversation surrounding former President Donald Trump’s unfounded election fraud claims brought out emotions. The Democrats were eager to talk about the issue, pressing it to the point that it rankled the Republicans and prompted Weiman literally to throw a yellow card out to stop the conversation.
“All four of the Republicans understand, believe, that (Joe) Biden is the president and the commander in chief of this country,” Gray said. “No ifs, ands or buts. He was duly elected by the Electoral College that was ratified. Every court challenge that’s been out there has upheld Biden’s presidency and the four of us, we said: ‘Hey, knock that off. Let’s talk about other stuff because we already realize and recognize that Biden is the commander in chief and the president.’”
Weiman said she never was interested in getting the two sides to agree on every issue; her focus was more on getting people to listen to each other. The discussions didn’t delve deeply into specific problems, such as immigration or environmental concerns, although that may come later.
The more important first step is to foster mutual respect and trust.
“I’m not interested in 'agree,'” Weiman said. “I’m interested in people not demonizing, in humanizing.”
This month Sabol, Gray, Weiman and Democratic Club member Bob Gary, a retired federal prosecutor who came up with the idea of a dialogue between the clubs, gathered for a joint interview about their project. They had an easy rapport, laughing and joking.
Weiman sipped from a coffee mug with that read: “Choose love.”
They all were eager to get the word out that Republicans and Democrats don’t have to constantly be at each other’s throats, that civil dialogue is possible. They hope their experiment inspires others, and plan to keep it going with more meetings and joint activities between the clubs.
The first thing to do, they agreed, is start talking.
“You can’t get solutions if you’re not having a decent conversation,” Sabol said.
Follow Herald-Tribune Political Editor Zac Anderson on Twitter at @zacjanderson. He can be reached at zac.anderson@heraldtribune.com
This article originally appeared on Sarasota Herald-Tribune: Florida political clubs hope to bridge partisan divide amid rising acrimony
