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Terry Morrow: For one week, no parties -- just ideas

Often, we focus on whether a person is a Democrat or Republican -- to the exclusion of all else.

By TERRY MORROW

Last update: November 15, 2009 - 1:58 PM

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"Are you a Democrat or Republican?"

While knocking on doors during my first campaign, I was often asked this -- even before issues or ideas came up.

In my classes at Gustavus Adolphus College in St. Peter, Minn., students and I talk about logical shortcuts people sometimes use to resolve complex questions. Basically, a person focuses upon an either-or question because there's little time for or interest in studying an issue in depth.

"Democrat or Republican" can become a logical shortcut -- and an understandable one at a front door, when people may not have the time or desire to engage in a longer discussion.

But while this question may be reasonable at a front door, it's more troubling (and even more prevalent) on the front page.

After I was elected to the Minnesota House, I noticed that newspapers include "DFL" or "R" after the names of state representatives and senators. I became Rep. Terry Morrow, DFL-St. Peter.

In fact, media coverage of state and federal legislative issues often and unintentionally invites readers to reduce complex matters to partisan terms: The Republicans said "x" and the Democrats said "y." When a bill is introduced, the author's party designation leads the story.

The result is to encourage readers to engage in logical shortcuts. We are invited to quickly identify the partisan affiliation and decide: "I am of the same party as this legislator, therefore I agree."

To be clear, I do not indict the media. Minnesota's reporters and publishers seek to inform us on important issues. Rather, I invite us all to ask: Why is the party designation relevant to a story? Sometimes, it is. But many times, it is not.

We are one year away from electing a new governor and other statewide officials, as well as federal and state representatives, state senators and others. We have an opportunity to focus upon the issues facing Minnesota in a serious, sustained public discussion.

I encourage a one-week experiment by Minnesota's media designed to help us shift attention away from partisan labels and toward the pros and cons of the ideas being debated. Each newspaper and other news source would choose one week this month to refrain from identifying the political parties of senators and representatives. Understandably, coverage of election-related matters would refer to Republicans, Democrats and other parties.

My hope is that our civic dialogue can be directed toward understanding the issues without being filtered through the lens of partisan affiliation. In this way, we might move closer to solving challenges -- and pursuing opportunities.

Terry Morrow, St. Peter, represents District 23A in the Minnesota House.

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