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The Editorial Board, USA TODAY Published 5:45 p.m. ET Dec. 19, 2019 | Updated 12:35 p.m. ET Dec. 20, 2019

Russia is still trying to exploit divisions in America. USA TODAY is trying to heal the nations wounds and identify areas of agreement: Our view

Russias information warfare campaign against the United States began with the goal, in the words of the Mueller report, of sowing discord in the U.S. political system.

In a bid to exploit divisions in American society, Russian hackers posed as, among other things, anti-immigration groups, Tea Party activists and Black Lives Matter protesters.

The Russians undoubtedly see their continuing campaign as a spectacular success, judging by the way Americans are at each others throats these days, on impeachment and a variety of other topics.

In an effort to help heal the nations wounds and identify areas of agreement on major issues, USA TODAY and the nonprofit group Public Agenda are partnering on a yearlong project called Hidden Common Ground.

The commentary portion of the project includes columns by centrist voices who tend to get drowned out by the partisan extremes, and by people with widely divergent views who are nevertheless working together to fix a problem.

Voting in 2016.(Photo: Eugene Garcia/epa)

You wouldnt know it from watching cable news, but in the last presidential election 39% of voters described themselves as moderate (versus 35% as conservative and 26% as liberal). In the initial Public Agenda/USA TODAY/Ipsos survey for the project, more than nine of 10said its important to reduce divisiveness.

So far, criticism of Hidden Common Groundhas focused on two questions:

Isn't it ludicrous to talk about bipartisan compromise when my side is 100% right and the other side is 100% wrong?

Isnt it hypocritical for the Editorial Board to support common ground solutions while endorsing the polarizing act of impeaching President Donald Trump?

The short answers are noand no.

Its true that agreementis difficult when one side won't accept basic facts. It's also truethat certain issues involving basic moral beliefs or human rights dont lend themselves to split-the-difference solutions. But many others do.

On immigration, for example, theres clearly common ground to be found between open borders on one side and mass deportations on the other. The long-obvious deal would pair better border security with a pathway to legality for millions of undocumented immigrants already interwoven in American society.

On health care, theres common ground between mandatory "Medicare for All" and repealing Obamacare. One idea is to preserve private insurance but improve the Affordable Care Act by adding a public option or letting certain people under 65 buyMedicare coverage.

On climate change, theres common ground between do-nothing denialism and a Green New Deal that unrealistically attempts to remake the entire economy. A tax on carbon emissions, with the proceeds refunded to consumers, would make green energy more competitive; a more robust research and development program could unearth technological fixes.

On these and other public policy questions, to see compromise as a dirty word simply ensures that nothing gets done and problems fester.

As for impeachment, it can be argued that Trump with his constant name-calling, erratic edicts and dismissal of scienceis himself the biggest impediment to finding common ground at the federal level. (In our tradition of giving readers more than one side of an issue, our editorial endorsing the two articles of impeachment was accompanied by an opposing view from the top Republican on the House Judiciary Committee.)

Senate acquittal appears assured, but even ifTrump were to be removed from office for his abuseof power and stonewalling of Congress, does anyone doubt that incoming President Mike Pence would improve the tone in Washington while continuing to champion conservative causes?

In fact, impeachment and deal-making arent incompatible. Conditions are ripe for successful negotiations because both sides have an interest in demonstrating cooperation.

Heading into an election year, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi wants to showthat congressional Democrats can do more than impeach. President Trump wants to show that hes not paralyzed or consumed by that process.

Just in the past week, Democrats and Republicans have reached agreement on a major trade deal, passed in the House on Thursday,and an array of thorny budget issues, including $425 million to help states improve election security. Imagine how much better off the nation would be if they could manage to keep it up.

By Bill Sternberg for the Editorial Board

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