Everyone is polarized and reactionary nowadays. How to fix that?

[JEDI]

Thx to the Bush/Rove administration, everything is more polarized more than ever. I rememer the days where there was some periods of cooperation between the Repubs and Dems during the Clinton administation.

If there is a fix, which side (Repub/Dems) will cave in 1st and offer an olive branch?

Or is a fix not possible as long as extemists like Rove are still in the policy picture?

DISCUSS!

 

[Jaskalas]

Remove the political parties so voters might have a reason to think about it more than just R or D. Then perhaps, over time, they could develop the skills necessary to be informed. Currently they don?t have a need to, they leave the power to their party.

 

[Genx87]

The polarization of America is a media coined phrase and story they created.

Both sides have been bickering like children for a lot longer than 6 years.

I also love how you start off asking a question how to fix it then throw out the Rove is an extremist. What about Rove is extreme anyways? The fact he managed to make the democrats lose 3 elections? That doesnt make him extreme, it makes him smarter than the democrats.

Anyways part of the problem is simply labeling your opponents like extremist, it makes you look desperate and only further drives the wedge.

 

[daveshel]

The only solution is for the PEOPLE to take the government back from them who have sold us out. Remember that phrase about 'of the people, by the people and for the people?'

 

[redfella]

There should be another party that rises to power in the US that splits the dems and republicans. Call it the American Party. A labels are lost on this party as its sole puporse is to bolster political candidates versus lifting high its own party's head.

 

[WiseOldDude]

Impeach the bastard, then put him on trial for war crimes and corruption. Prove to the world that the US does have standards higher than those of this bastard.

 

[Moonbeam]

If it's war they want it's war they'll get.

 

[Todd33]

?For all its faults, it is partisanship ? based on core principles ? that clarifies our debates, that prevents one party from straying too far from the mainstream and that constantly refreshes our politics with new ideas and new leaders,? DeLay said.

Three-quarters of the ads aired by Bush's campaign have been attacks on Kerry. Bush so far has aired 49,050 negative ads in the top 100 markets, or 75 percent of his advertising. Kerry has run 13,336 negative ads -- or 27 percent of his total. The figures were compiled by The Washington Post using data from the Campaign Media Analysis Group of the top 100 U.S. markets. Both campaigns said the figures are accurate.

In July, 2003, Norman Ornstein of the American Enterprise Institute commented: ?If Democrats, when they were in the House majority, jammed through plenty of bills without Republican participation and turned ff moderate Members of the minority, their highhandedness was nothing compared to what House Republicans are doing now.?

Interesting read: http://www.democrats.house.gov/docs/brokenpromises.pdf

It seems partisanship is a GOP platform, not a byproduct of anything else. It was calculated and executed. You want to blame someone? Just look to Rove, Delay, Frist, etc. you want to fix it? Get rid of their majority.

 

[zendari]

I'm glad democrats.house.gov is such an unbiased and fair resource.

 

[ayabe]

"Everyone is polarized and reactionary nowadays. How to fix that?"

Legalize marijuana.

 

[CaptnKirk]

Originally posted by: Genx87
The polarization of America is a media coined phrase and story they created.

Both sides have been bickering like children for a lot longer than 6 years.

I also love how you start off asking a question how to fix it then throw out the Rove is an extremist. What about Rove is extreme anyways? The fact he managed to make the democrats lose 3 elections? That doesnt make him extreme, it makes him smarter than the democrats.

Anyways part of the problem is simply labeling your opponents like extremist, it makes you look desperate and only further drives the wedge.

You obviously have no grasp on the History of Karl Rove and his Partisan Politics.

Oozing Slime

 

[Genx87]

Originally posted by: CaptnKirk

Originally posted by: Genx87
The polarization of America is a media coined phrase and story they created.

Both sides have been bickering like children for a lot longer than 6 years.

I also love how you start off asking a question how to fix it then throw out the Rove is an extremist. What about Rove is extreme anyways? The fact he managed to make the democrats lose 3 elections? That doesnt make him extreme, it makes him smarter than the democrats.

Anyways part of the problem is simply labeling your opponents like extremist, it makes you look desperate and only further drives the wedge.

You obviously have no grasp on the History of Karl Rove and his Partisan Politics.

Oozing Slime

Oh he is a political hack? What a surprise considering it is his job

Maybe you are mixing and matching roles, not able to discern the difference between a person's who's job it is to throw mud and win an election and an extremist.

Not to mention that site is, uh, quite biased. Reading that site, I can understand why your state of mind is so negative all the time.

 

[ITJunkie]

In answer to the OP's original question...it can't be. Just look at most of the comments above to see why.
Both Dem's and Rep's are too entrenched in their beliefs that their party is the one to fix all of America's ill's but, in truth, neither party gives a rat's @ss about what is best for America. Only their own party's personal aggrandizement.
Are people polarized? Yes, they most certainly are. Fear being the number one culprit. Fear of terrorism, fear of losing their jobs, fear of God sending them to eternal damnation, fear of whatever their latest phobia entails and the list goes on and on. So long as our politicians/media continue to exploit that fear, things won't change.

 

[Kwaipie]

Of the corporation, by the corporation, for the corporation.

 

[alchemize]

A 3rd party.

 

[slsmnaz]

Originally posted by: JEDI
Thx to the Bush/Rove administration, everything is more polarized more than ever. I rememer the days where there was some periods of cooperation between the Repubs and Dems during the Clinton administation.

If there is a fix, which side (Repub/Dems) will cave in 1st and offer an olive branch?

Or is a fix not possible as long as extemists like Rove are still in the policy picture?

DISCUSS!

Maybe when everyone stops playing the blame game. Your first 6 words are blaming just one group. Then the only extremist you mention is Rove. I would put Dean on the same level as Rove. Once you open your mind and realize both sides are to blame, then there might be some hope.

 

[TheSlamma]

Originally posted by: Jaskalas
Remove the political parties so voters might have a reason to think about it more than just R or D. Then perhaps, over time, they could develop the skills necessary to be informed. Currently they don?t have a need to, they leave the power to their party.

I'm with this guy. Parties just give a shelter for people to vote for what their dad told em to when they were kids.

 

[Moonbeam]

Originally posted by: slsmnaz

Originally posted by: JEDI
Thx to the Bush/Rove administration, everything is more polarized more than ever. I rememer the days where there was some periods of cooperation between the Repubs and Dems during the Clinton administation.

If there is a fix, which side (Repub/Dems) will cave in 1st and offer an olive branch?

Or is a fix not possible as long as extemists like Rove are still in the policy picture?

DISCUSS!

Maybe when everyone stops playing the blame game. Your first 6 words are blaming just one group. Then the only extremist you mention is Rove. I would put Dean on the same level as Rove. Once you open your mind and realize both sides are to blame, then there might be some hope.

We think differently. Hope, in my opinion, can happen only when there is none. And to help you get there you should also know there is nobody at all to blame. Everything must be exactly as it is.

 

[AAjax]

Originally posted by: daveshel
The only solution is for the PEOPLE to take the government back from them who have sold us out. Remember that phrase about 'of the people, by the people and for the people?'

agreed,
Time for us to stop thinking about ourselves and time to start thinking. It never seems to be the majority that preserves liberty and freedom, that allmost allways seems to fall upon the shoulders of the few who have empathy for their fellow man and selflessly sacrifice their own oppertunities for the oppertunity of those who cannot see.

We live in a nation that has closed its eyes, and hopes that the problems we face will just go away on their own, but untill as a nation we take ownership of said problems we will continue to have a faux "two party system" that causes and takes advantage of much of our nations ills because we let it.
We are as helpless as we choose to be, we are as weak and divided as we allow ourselves to be, we are as un-involved as we hope to be. Time to stop being spoon fed our reality, and time to create our own.

 

[Stunt]

Originally posted by: alchemize
A 3rd party.

We had 4 parties; it became regionalized, no winning party had a much over 35% of the popular vote. Two right leaning parties merged and the 3 party system had a similar result as 4. Now the two leftist parties are complaining about their similar policies and reduced representation since they allow the right wing to come up the middle at times and win the election.

A third party is not a solution to the problem.
You are just disgusted by the two options you have.

 

[fitzov]

Only a real catastrophe could fix something like that.

 

[AAjax]

Originally posted by: fitzov
Only a real catastrophe could fix something like that.

Or a re-birth. You have a choice in how this plays out.

 

[dmcowen674]

Originally posted by: Stunt

Originally posted by: alchemize
A 3rd party.

We had 4 parties; it became regionalized, no winning party had a much over 35% of the popular vote. Two right leaning parties merged and the 3 party system had a similar result as 4. Now the two leftist parties are complaining about their similar policies and reduced representation since they allow the right wing to come up the middle at times and win the election.

A third party is not a solution to the problem.

You are just disgusted by the two options you have.

We don't have two options, they have merged.

It is a dog and Pony show to make the American Sheeple believe there is two parties.

 

[Vic]

Originally posted by: Jaskalas
Remove the political parties so voters might have a reason to think about it more than just R or D. Then perhaps, over time, they could develop the skills necessary to be informed. Currently they don?t have a need to, they leave the power to their party.

I agree with your reasoning, but I am confused as to your method. Exactly how would you have the political parties removed without violating the 1st Amendment guarantees to freedom of speech and of peaceful assembly?

Regardless, blaming the parties for the faults of the individuals that comprise them is disingenious. People like the parties. They like being polarized and reactionary. It absolves them of the need to think for themselves. Instead they can just blame "Bush," or "the Republicans," or those "damn liberals," and then think they're actually taking action as they proclaim the need to pass some type of shortsighted legislation specifically for the purpose of screwing over those heretical neighbors. That won't change until people change themselves. In the meantime, they just pretend to care while practicing to hate.

 

[StepUp]

No change until we start caring. What was voter turnout for the last election?