The Politics of Dignity: A Hollow Call from Oklahoma and Maryland

At the National Governors Association summer meeting in Oklahoma City, Govs. Kevin Stitt (R-Okla.) and Wes Moore (D-Md.) expressed concern about the state of politics, attributing its problems to partisan primaries. They proposed bringing back “dignity” to government.

The idea that dignity can be a winning quality in modern politics may seem surprising. However, Stitt’s assertion that “I would think so” when asked whether dignity could win a presidential election implies that voters are looking for something more than partisan extremes. This is precisely the problem – or at least, part of it. The two governors’ concern about primaries being too extreme and candidates pandering to their bases speaks to a deeper issue: the commodification of outrage.

Extreme primary candidates may tend to win, as Stitt noted, but this is not a new phenomenon. What’s striking, however, is the willingness of these governors to speak out against it now. Both have been part of this system for years and have benefited from its dynamics. Their criticisms ring hollow when considered in light of their own careers.

Their shared goal of improving education, infrastructure, healthcare, and the economy sounds noble enough, but in today’s polarized landscape, it’s hard to distinguish genuine bipartisanship from cynical posturing. Governors Stitt and Moore seem more concerned with projecting a veneer of civility than engaging in meaningful policy reform.

The governors’ discussion about social media contributing to polarization is equally telling. While they’re right to note its negative impact, their own use (or non-use) of these platforms raises questions about accountability. If even governors are aware of the dangers of social media and choose not to engage with it personally, what does this say about their commitment to transparency and engagement?

The call for “dignity” in politics is a familiar refrain in American discourse. It’s often tied to nostalgia for a bygone era when politicians supposedly spoke with more gravitas and less bombast. But dignity without substance is nothing but a hollow slogan.

Governor Moore’s anecdote about his great-great-great-great-great-great grandfather Prince Ames suggests genuine idealism, but this type of sentimental appeal can be co-opted by politicians looking to mask their own shortcomings. If these governors truly want to bring dignity back to politics, they should start by demonstrating it themselves – through actions, not just words. Anything less risks being a futile attempt to restore an idealized past rather than forging a more equitable future.