Watch the video above for a replay of the entire Nov. 15, 2023 “Disagree Better” event at Colorado State University.
Next year marks the first time many students at Colorado State University will have the opportunity to vote in a presidential election, and one leader wants to make something clear about the state of the nation’s contentious political environment.
“This is not normal,” said Utah Gov. Spencer Cox. “I know this is all you’ve known since you’ve been 12 or 13, but do not accept this is the way it has to be. We can do better, and we need your help.”
With that sentiment in mind, Cox, a Republican, sat alongside Democratic Colorado Gov. Jared Polis for “Disagree Better,” a Nov. 15 discussion on the CSU campus aimed at demonstrating the importance of reaching across the aisle and having civil discussions about the issues that divide us.
“The vast majority of the American people, they want to see people working together, their leaders working together,” Polis said.
The event, which was sponsored by CSU, the National Governors Association and Colorado Politics, was moderated by CSU President Amy Parsons as part of the University’s Thematic Year of Democracy.
It also happened to fall the week before the Thanksgiving holiday – and Polis emphasized “there’s no reason the MAGA uncle and woke niece can’t sit together around the dinner table.”
The key to a healthy discussion? Both governors emphasized the need to stay curious, keep an even keel and acknowledge that you might not always be right.
“I’ve found that the magic question is: ‘Tell me more about why you feel that way,’” Cox said. “It shows you’re interested, and if you ask it enough and get them to tell you their why, you may find out you have something in common.”
Polis added: “Politics doesn’t have to be – and it shouldn’t be – a toxic topic.”
And if all else fails?
“Turn on football,” Cox joked.
How can young people get involved in our democracy?
CSU has been recognized as a top tier university in the All in Campus Democracy Challenge, and while 75% of students are already registered to vote, Parsons said the goal is for that number to be even higher by 2024.
Both Polis and Cox emphasized that students should not be intimidated about getting more involved with politics, and that while political discussions might seem scary, it’s more important than ever to have them.
“I would certainly encourage the students who are watching here not to be turned off by the toxic dialogue that you see,” Polis said.
And perhaps most importantly, they said that no one should make their political ideology their entire identity.
“Growing up we were Rams and Aggies and dads and moms and Utahans and Coloradans, and then you get down to Republican or Democrat,” Cox said. “Politics has become a religion for far too many people, and nobody wants to hang out with you if that’s all you want to talk about.”
Their message resonated with at least one student: Associated Students of CSU President Nick DeSalvo, who asked the governors for their advice leading different branches of government during the Q&A section of the event.
“By nature I’m a little bit pessimistic, but these gentlemen give me hope,” he said.
Dozens of people filled the Never Summer Ballroom in the Lory Student Center for the “Disagree Better” conversation between Democratic Colorado Gov. Jared Polis and Republican Utah Gov. Spencer Cox. It was moderated by CSU President Amy Parsons. (Photos: Joe Mendoza, CSU Photography)