I’ve knocked on nearly 30,000 doors and spoke with thousands of people from across the political spectrum in my district. This experience has taught me that good ideas and good people come from all directions. It has also helped me define the difference between a politician and a statesman.
Rep. Steve Berch
A politician tends to only represent the people who vote for them. A statesman strives to represent everyone in their constituency whether they voted for them or not. This doesn’t mean you agree with everyone on every issue all the time. It does mean you respect those good ideas – no matter where they come from – by incorporating them into the work you do.
It’s much easier to be a politician than a statesman:
- It’s much easier to inflame emotions with false and misleading messages to win votes.
- It’s much easier to make decisions based on what you want to believe is true, instead of doing the due diligence to know what is true.
- It’s much easier to tell voters what they want to hear instead of what they need to hear.
A statesman, however, works to bring people together and listens for points of agreement, instead of arguing about where they disagree. With agreement, you can establish trust and respect, which is the first step toward working together to solve problems.
A statesman builds a consensus among colleagues to tackle difficult issues. It takes patience and good listening skills to resolve major issues that require the agreement of at least 36 representatives, 18 senators, and 1 governor.
A statesman has the courage to make decisions that may not be popular in the short term, but necessary to secure a beneficial long-term outcome.
A statesman is more concerned about achieving results than getting the credit.
The road toward becoming a statesman starts by knocking on doors and talking one-on-one with a broad spectrum of one’s constituency. You learn the issues that really affect people’s daily lives. You learn to respect people of all political affiliations and treat them with civility in both word and deed. You become a better public servant and a better person.
This is why I choose the road that leads to being a statesman.
Unfortunately, this road is less traveled by too many incumbents and candidates these days. To be clear, several of my legislative colleagues on both sides of the aisle are statesmen. We listen and learn from each other to our mutual benefit, even if we disagree at times.
However, too many choose to be politicians. It is discouraging to see bills promoting ideological purity that divide communities and punish those who disagree. It is dangerous when legislators give credibility to false and misleading information in an effort to curry favor with voters.
If we continue traveling down this increasingly rancorous road, we wind up with a government that rejects accountability after being elected; that doesn’t care about those that disagree with them; that believes the ends justify the means – which leads to operating without a moral or ethical compass.
We wind up with a state without statesmen.
There is a path forward. Voters need to know who the people on their ballot really are. Ask yourself: Is the candidate taking your vote for granted? Do they make it easy to contact them? Have they knocked on your door? Do they want to talk with you or at you?
If you want more statesmen and fewer politicians in the legislature, vote for the person – not a letter or a color.