Our history is a long one, with far more instances of comprismise than partisan animosity. This went out the window, and I can even tell you when. It was when Bill Clinton was impeached. Not removed from office, but impeached. It happened right after the Democrats lost control of the House thanks to Newt and the Contract with America. After that, the Democratic Party set out on a policy of vengeance. When Al Gore lost the election, that vengeance was delayed, and increased. .
My 87 yo mother, a lifelong Democrat says exactly the same thing. According to her the Democrats will never forgive the Republicans for impeaching Bill Clinton...and the 'grievances' have escalated from there. She doesn't approve of their scorch and burn policy, however. Mom does dispute that political emotions run higher today - being able to recall family members refusing to share a meal with other family members over politics. There was sound wisdom in the old saying - politics and religion should not be discussed in polite society.
In time the animosity shown by a few, became the pattern of both. No longer were the parties content to have minor squabbles over basic ideals. Now, it was all about destroying, not defeating, the opposition. In the last twenty years, the parties have become mockeries of their former selves. Democrats are opposed to anything that the Republicans are for. Republicans are opposed to anything the Democrats are for. It isnāt about fixing problems, or finding solutions, itās about smashing your opponent over the head and stomping them to death, and then desecrating the grave.
As a recovering liberal (one mugged by reality as Irving Krystal would say) and still registered Democrat - imo, the parties are not equal in vindictiveness. It was astounding how quickly during the 60's the Dem leadership began its march to the Left and many of us in the center found ourselves labeled rightwing 'extremists' when in reality we stood firmly in the center where we'd always been.
Yes, there are extremists on the right. They may be loud, but they are few and have little role on the national stage. Highly visible Democrats on the other hand openly denigrate and demean, call for public confrontation directed not just toward their political opponents (bad enough), but toward the American people who support the opposition. Obama was a master at this...it continues with others today. I do not see any moral equivalent between the behavior of the leadership of the left and that of the right.
The behavior of the leadership, the tone taken matters...as a recovering liberal, I still speak the language - and suspect the reason the left hate Trump so is that they see in him some of themselves...and that is his unforgivable sin. Positive outlook for the nation be damned.
I don't think we're doomed - any more than the rest of the world is doomed - though on reflection guess that's not exactly a ringing endorsement for a bright future.
Where you fall on the spectrum depends not on the national scale, but on your regional, or local standards. By Georgia standards, where I live, especially rural Georgia standards, I am rather Liberal. By the standards of San Francisco, or New York City, I am a raging right wing gun toting bible thumping redneck.
Iām a member of the ACLU, and the NRA. I am a staunch defender of Civil Rights, in everyone, and for everyone. Those civil rights include the Second Amendment.
When the Democrats regained the majority in 2006, I wondered how long it would last. It wasnāt long. The reason? The far left took control behind Nancy Pelosi, and began pushing the extreme. Vengeance for Newt and Clinton. But the problem is that many of those Democrats that helped get the majority in Congress were from the rural areas like mine. We had a Democrat elected, to the shock and disbelief of the Republicans. John Barrow served for a long time, finally losing in 2015. After years of warning that the extreme Left would cause the Rural Democrats to lose, it happened. But it didnāt happen a little at a time, it happened. In waves. Every time it happened, those left extremists all had the same response, good riddance to the moderates. There was no place for them in the Modern Democratic Party.
Bill Clinton was elected by the Big Tent. Al Gore wasnāt. Obama was not. Obama was the lesser of two evils twice running.
The extreme right in the same time has been sort of fading away. By extreme right I mean racists and the more violent members. Partially it is because those days are long gone, and partially it is because the modern world does not work that way. Oh there are plenty on here, but I think they are running about trying to justify their existence by recruiting which doesnāt work.
Those are the idiots who if they need open heart surgery will choose a doctor based upon color and genetic history of the name. Instead of going for the best, regardless of all other considerations, theyāll find some reason to disqualify the ones with too much melatonin in the skin, or with a potentially Jewish surname. In other words, they are dying off.
Part of the failure of the Democrats is that they donāt know when to stop. Take any issue when the public seems to be on their side, and they quickly rush past the reasonable into insane. Then they blame the Right for turning the public against them. Iāll take an easy one. Guns.
Generally speaking, the public is in favor of universal background checks. Iām not, but that is because of other issues Iāll get to if you desire. The Democrats have that. They could run with it. But then they demand more. A ban on high capacity magazines, not so supported. A ban on the cosmetic showing their ignorance of weapons. All of this does nothing to further their support and soon people are against gun control issues again because the Democrats didnāt know when to quit.
Every issue is the same. They could claim a bunch of short simple victories, but they want the entire thing, not a victory.
I donāt know who their strategists are but someone should beat them behind the shed and replace them with reasonable people.
In a way, they are alienating the people the same way the racists religious intolerance idiots did in their time. Those idiots out protesting funerals over homosexuality are so discredited now as to be the punch line of a joke. There just arenāt many left, their own actions insured they would never gain in public support.
The left is doing the same damned thing. Demanding that anyone who isnāt a Republican believe the extremist views of the far left. The worst are the ones who rush out to quote a Bible passage to justify their insane intolerance. They have become the Religious Right and John Birch Society nuts of thirty years ago.
I have believed a Civil War is coming. I really donāt want to see it. I donāt want to see either side win. Neither side should win. They are both unworthy of leading the people.
