A month ago today I reflected on the legacy of the late Gov. Jim Edgar without using the words bipartisan or moderate.

It was a conscious choice, perhaps only to avoid everyone else’s chosen adjectives. (My favorite Edgar quote – which every elected official should internalize – is, “To me, the best politics is good government.”) But also, bipartisanship has dropped among the ranks of virtues many voters hold in high esteem.

Compromise is capitulation in some camps, where winning isn’t everything but the only thing. It’s easy to understand when operating under the belief your political opponents seek to destroy your (city/state/country/way of life), and these days that scenario need not be reality as long as the right people can convince enough voters to believe.

Consider the issue, as my brain usually does, through the lens of baseball. Most observers predict some sort of work stoppage as the current deal between owners and players nears expiration. ESPN’s Jeff Passan framed the National League Championship Series between Los Angeles and Milwaukee as a battle for the future:

The Dodgers have a record high payroll. The Brewers compiled the league’s best record for a fraction of the cost. If the Dodgers win, the system is rigged for the rich and there must be a way to limit spending. If the Brewers prevail, that’s proof the playing field is more level than we thought. (Just don’t ask too many questions about the Cubs, Yankees, Blue Jays, Mariners and so forth.)

The problem with this framing, as CBS’ R.J. Anderson elucidated, is “the owners have and always will push for a salary cap, no matter what happens on the field. There’s no amount of competitive balance, perceived or actual, that will deter that – because competitive balance isn’t the actual goal.”

That’s not to imply the players’ union has competitive balance as its goal, either. Generally the top priority is claiming as large a piece of the revenue pie as the owners will slice. So long as the sides are up front about intentions, it’s fine to bring different desires to the negotiating table. Frustration bubbles from either deceit or those who ascribe to the parties aspirations they do not harbor.

Politically, honesty is preferable. Last month Jose Durbin, working with the Darren Bailey gubernatorial campaign, gave CapitolFax’s Rich Miller a quote I rank with Edgar’s: “Treating our values like a liability means selling them out, and Illinois can’t afford leaders who cave when it counts.”

Gov. JB Pritzker has spoken similarly, albeit in service of values distinct from Bailey’s. Neither would compromise with the other, but clarity and forthrightness help entrench a voting base.

As common goals dissipate, the politics of the future necessarily evolve.

• Scott T. Holland writes about state government issues for Shaw Local News Network. He can be reached at sholland@shawmedia.com.