As I mentioned yesterday, one overarching goal of One Daily Link is to elevate calm, reasoned commentary. No writer embodies that ideal more than Theodore R. Johnson. His steady, honest analysis makes one forget all the people screaming at each other, even when his subject is people screaming at each other.

In his column for The Bulwark, Johnson writes about the contentious back-and-forth between black House Representatives Cori Bush (D-MO) and Byron Donalds (R-FL) over Donalds’s brief candidacy for speaker. Bush accused Donalds of being a token; Donalds accused Bush of being a “crab-in-a-barrel.” As only he can, Johnson cuts through the unfortunate rhetoric to get to the heart of the matter: differing views on advancement for African Americans. I won’t summarize his points — they’re too thoughtful and nuanced for that. I will say, though, his interest in the actual issue rather than the talking points surrounding it is beyond admirable. Maybe Representatives Bush and Donalds aren’t able to have a productive discussion, but that doesn’t mean we can’t. It’s a valuable reminder as the new Congress kicks off.