HUNTSVILLE, Ala. — In an oft-referenced Monty Python sketch, the definitions of 'arguments' and 'contradictions' are made quite clear: "An argument’s an intellectual process; contradiction’s just the automatic gainsaying of anything the other person says.
A new video released Friday, featuring Gov. Kay Ivey of Alabama, a Republican, and Mayor Walt Maddox of Tuscaloosa, a Democrat, hopes to also make clear the difference between a fruitful exchange of views and "combative and contentious" behavior that they agree has become commonplace in today's political landscape.
And, being a prominent state for both political battles and football, they use sports as an allegory -- Ivey is a full-blooded Auburn Tigers fan. Mayor Maddox runs the city home to the University of Alabama's Crimson Tide.
Their video is produced by the National Governors Association and is part of the group's "Disagree Better" campaign. Their mission is driven home in the Ivey-Maddox video.
"You can disagree and still listen to understand," says Maddox. The pair highlight a shared passion for improving education within the state for both students and teachers.
The call to action for the video and the program is to learn to find common ground. That common ground is the foundation for any progress that either side, any political party, must need for the public as a whole to thrive.
"Roll Tide," Maddox says at the conclusion of the video.
"War Eagle," adds Ivey with a pat on the mayor's back.
You can learn more about the Disagree Better campaign at the National Governors Association website.