Politics & Power Quote by Francine Busby

Busby’s line is less a plea for unity than a tactical reframe: move the argument away from ideology (where voters are tribal and dug in) and toward performance (where incumbents can be judged). By repeating “This is not about...” twice, she uses a familiar political rhythm to clear the stage of partisan labels and then drop in the supposedly higher standard: a government that “works.” It’s classic governing-language, but it’s also campaign-language: competence as a moral credential.

The subtext is an indictment without naming a culprit. “Works for all Americans” implies it currently doesn’t, and that the failure is systemic rather than a one-off scandal. It’s a way to critique Washington dysfunction while sounding above the fray, inviting voters who are exhausted by culture-war sorting to think of themselves as practical, not partisan. That’s especially useful for a Democrat in a swingy or skeptical district: you don’t have to win an argument about “liberal” policy; you have to win the argument that the other side (or the status quo) is broken.

The phrase “for all Americans” is doing double duty. It signals fairness and inclusion, but it also blurs conflict. Governments don’t “work” neutrally; they choose winners and losers through taxes, regulation, benefits, and enforcement. Busby’s intent is to make those choices sound like maintenance rather than ideology: less “left vs. right,” more “functional vs. failed.” In an era of polarization, that’s an attempt to convert frustration into permission to switch sides without admitting you’ve changed your politics.