Forum Aims To Bring Democrats, Republicans Together Without Partisan Bickering

Marshfield Civility Project Aims To Take Acrimony Out Of Political Discourse

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A forum on Wednesday night on the University of Wisconsin-Marshfield/Wood County campus will bring Republicans and Democrats together in an effort to bridge partisan divides.

The event will be the first in a series of forums organized by Marshfield Civility Project, an initiative with a goal of getting past hatred in political discussion. The project is spearheaded by Dan Wald and Chris Jockheck, who themselves have opposing partisan affiliations. Wald, the chair of the Republican Party of Wood County, said he’s fed up with the nasty political comments he sees in social media.

“If you go onto Facebook, it’s amazing how people are hitting each other over the top of the head with a hammer,” he said.

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Jockheck, the former chair of the Wood County Democratic Party, said he’s also tired of how acrimonious political discourse has become. He said that he knows people no longer talking to one another due to political opinion.

“I’ve experienced it in my own family,” Jockheck said. “With one group of relations we just don’t talk politics.”

The two leaders are hopeful that the forum will succeed in helping people get past the partisan political rhetoric.

“We do have to come together and solve some of these issues,” said Wald. “If you have that extreme political rancor, you’re not going to do that.”

They also believe the initiative is the first of its kind: “As far as we could tell, both parties have not come together for an event like this, not the Republican Party or the Democratic Party,” said Wald.

Wednesday evening’s Marshfield Civility Project forum is also sponsored by the Wisconsin Institute for Public Policy and Service.