Press "Enter" to skip to content

Former congressmen explain rift in political field

Former congressmen Rich Stallings, a Democrat representative from Idaho, and Gil Gutknecht, a Republican from Minnesota, hung out on the Hilltop Monday in order to talk to students about the state of U.S. politics.

At Q-and-A session called “Election 2016: The Evolution of American Politics,” the congressmen discussed topics ranging from the ethical conduct of members of Congress to the way they address important current issues, such as the 2016 presidential election.

Stallings began the event by saying cross-party cooperation does not exist anymore.

“There was better bipartisan spirit when I was [in Congress],” Stallings said. “Since then, it has been ‘take no prisoners.’ [Current congressmen] are just trying to make themselves famous, and we are not getting basic business taken care of.”

Gutknecht said while he doesn’t necessarily agree with Stallings, he thinks members of Congress today aren’t setting a good example for citizens. But he said he still believes there are many congressmen trying hard to work for the people.

“A few bad apples can make the barrel look bad,” Gutknecht said. “There’s an awful lot of good people in Congress.”

A student asked about what led to the current state of Congress and whether there was a single pivotal moment that caused the aggression in the modern political field.

“Democrats dominated Congress for 50 years,” Stallings said. “This bred angry Republicans. Long-term, Congress is best served when you have two lively parties, not one.”

Gutknecht said he hasn’t seen this kind of aggression in Congress in years, and he said he thinks it is caused by failure of political leaders to follow through on their promises.

“There is an anger in the body of politics I haven’t seen in a long time,” Gutknecht said. “The average working American hasn’t seen a pay raise in 10 years. The average American has seen their standard of living go down.”

Students also asked questions about the general election and candidates Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump.
Stallings said Trump won the Republican nomination by capitalizing on an angry electorate, and the Republican Party may be done for in its current form.

“[Trump] did it by demeaning [other candidates],” Stallings said. “I don’t think for one minute the Republicans would’ve selected [Trump] if not for the primary system. This will create a major fracture in the Republican party.”

Gutknecht said Clinton has capitalized on the popularity of her husband, Bill Clinton, and this may mislead Americans.

“Bill would make you feel like the most important person in the room,” Gutknecht said. “As warm and likeable as Bill was, his wife is the complete opposite.”

Jalyn Prewitt, a junior political science and English double major, said the congressmen were very engaging.

“They both offered insightful commentary while adding a flare of humor,” Prewitt said. “I appreciated [this] because it shows non-majors that politics and political science can be fun and interesting.”

Copyright © 2023, The Scout, Bradley University. All rights reserved.
The Scout is published by members of the student body of Bradley University. Opinions expressed do not necessarily reflect those of the University.