State of the Union: Interview With Gov. Spencer Cox (R-UT)

Interview

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Yes. Well, it's a great question, Dana, and something that we have been thinking about ourselves.

We're actually working with universities trying to understand the science behind depolarization. And we know that politics is downstream of culture. And so this is not something that's going to change overnight, but we do believe it's absolutely critical.

The good news is that there are some numbers out there, some polling numbers that show that there is a growing majority of Americans that are tired of the toxic disagreement, the divisiveness of tearing each other down, that they're actually looking for something better.

Governors are uniquely positioned to take this on, in that we -- we actually have to get stuff done. We work together. We learn from each other. We are the laboratories of democracy. And so we're going to take messages like this. And many of our fellow governors will be doing similar ads like the one that you just shared.

And we're going to do everything we can over the course of the next year to elevate this conversation.

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Well, look, there are so many examples of the wrong type of behavior, including myself. I'm often guilty of attacking and tearing down, instead of treating opponents with dignity and respect.

And I do think this gives us an opportunity. I mean, again, the polling shows that 60 percent of Republicans aren't crazy about their front-runner, and 70 percent of Democrats actually aren't crazy about their front-runner. We're kind of sleepwalking into this election that nobody is excited about and that nobody wants.

And, sadly, we're heading into what I believe and I think most Americans believe will be the next, most divisive election of our lifetimes. And so our hope is that, over the course of the next year, we can provide some counterprogramming to what we're seeing at the national discourse.

And this isn't just about politicians. And I think this is very important to say, Dana. This is about all of us as Americans. Again, it's -- politicians respond to the incentives that are out there. And, right now, the incentives with social media and cable news and the media, I mean, we all play a part in this, is to be loud and extreme and to attack.

And until all of us start being better on Facebook and Twitter, this is going to continue. So it's not just about politicians. It really is about Americans. There's nothing more un-American than hating our fellow Americans. And we need to start acting like that, or we're going to be in big trouble.

We can't continue down this path.

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Thank you, Dana.

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