Former Republican presidential candidate Jon Huntsman, co-chair of the nonpartisan group No Labels, asks a provacative question: What if President Obama and House Speaker john Boehner co-authored an outline of national objectives — prior to the State of the Union address — that would form a national agenda for 2014?
Many entrenched partisans and jaded pundits would chuckle at such a suggestion. But Huntsman counters that in the deep Red State of Utah, where he previously served as governor, a bipartisan best-practices approach such as he proposes did work.
In an Op-Ed for The Washington Post, Huntsman wrote:
“What if the two leaders focused on their areas of agreement and drew up a list of the objectives that they both want to achieve?
“What if the president then delivered an address that spoke to and for all Americans, not just one party, and that brought the entire audience, not just one side of the House chamber, to its feet? What if there were no need for an opposition response?
“Pure fantasy? I don’t think so. This consensus-driven approach to governing is not only possible but necessary if we are to break the cycle of fighting and gridlock that has paralyzed our political process.
“As a former governor, I know it can work. I’ve seen Republican and Democratic colleagues bring about progress and innovation by building relationships with political opponents and working with them to pass budgets and other vital bills. They would look for the best ideas and practices and forge a vision that reflects the aspirations of both political parties and the collective interests of constituents.
“We did this in Utah. We can do this as a country.”
Huntsman pointed out that No Labels is a growing movement of Democrats, Republicans and independents who “value problem-solving over partisan point-scoring.” The group is launching a 3-year campaign leading up to the 2016 presidential election that seeks to bring both sides to discuss and develop goals for the country that they both support.
The mutually agreed-upon goals would form the basis for a national strategic agenda, a shared vision of where our country is headed and what it can achieve.
A recent national poll conducted by No Labels of more than 1,000 registered voters found that majorities from both parties listed priorities such as creating 25 million jobs in the next 10 years, securing Social Security and Medicare for the next 75 years, re-establishing a balanced budget and moving toward energy self-sufficiency.
“We know,” Huntsman said, that “the public is on board: In our poll, 80 percent said the country should have a unified agenda that reflects the goals of both parties by the time the next president takes office.
