Interesting debate/discussion tonight on The News Hour

[tyedyeto]

Partisanship vs Polarization

The discussion did not delve into the panel speaking for one or the other party but rather why American politics is more polarized than ever before.

One of the last remarks was about the internet. The question was, "Why should any politician try to reach out for any sort of compromise when, in this day of cell phone technology, would any politician meet with someone of the other part, when pictures or video of that meeting would be posted on the web (esp You Tube) immediately."

Any time a Democratic politician meets with a Republican politician..... immediately DU is aghast that the meeting ever took place. Not that the contents of said meeting were revealed, but just the fact that it happened.

Politics are all about working with the other side of the aisle.



I'm a hard core liberal and even I can see that both sides have to come to some kind of agreement on some issues, not all but some.

[yourout]

1. For every action there is an equal and opposite re-action.

Bushco has yanked the wheel way to the right and if the Dems do not pull back we will be in the ditch.

Reaching across the isle only works when the guy on the otherside won't chop off your arms.

[tyedyeto]

2. That is the 'polarization' that was being discussed.

Without the 'chop off your arms' graphic.

[MarianJack]

3. Some of this polarization started with the rise of the religious right.

A lot more arose with the election of Bill Clinton. I believe that the rethuglicans had considered bush sr safe until very shortly before the election. There was even talk of Clinton coming in third. Little danny quayle had even said publicly that perot was a bigger threat than Clinton.

I think that Clinton's election started a rethuglican temper tantrum that continues to this day.

Sadly, we allowed it to happen. Too many Democrats are afraid of what right wing radio will say without realizing that they will be opposed to us simply for having the "D" after our names.