"This is the most polarized I've ever seen it," has been the echo of scores of political observers. The visceral reaction towards the ideas of others is, if not the worst, high, as we approach 2010.
The fact that any development is up for criticism shows just how divisive the parties are. Winning the Nobel Peace Prize, for example, is not something Obama sought, but did receive. But it is not enough to think about whether he deserved the honor; opponents feel comfortable demanding he give it back. Not so peaceful.
It is not only Republicans throwing out toxic talk. Democrats and those who call themselves liberal seem to have a zero tolerance policy for other views as well.
How has the health care debate become so polarizing? Each side making the "public option" issue the line in the sand. What if Obama has determined health care has to be done incrementally? Last January, many Democrats thought that was the best strategy. Now, somehow, it must be all or none, furthering the tension, and in some ways, reducing the likelihood of passage of the bill, or even something akin to the public option as a stand-alone bill but perhaps with compromise measures and costs further addressed.
There are so many possible scenarios on health care: Senate Republicans vote en bloc against the Senate bill, Democrats in the House defeat a Senate bill, etc. In either case, they are defeating a bill already cleared by CBO as a step to insure Americans that actually lowers the deficit.
The silent majority now is the voice of the "independent", which, if you listen past the yelling to hear the voices, the ground of most Americans. When Obama and McCain became their parties respective nominees, it was a vote for the most "independent" candidate. Obama campaigned on the promise of change and offering a new kind of politics. So it is no surprise he will in turn anger partisans on every side. Obama won with unprecedented numbers of small donors, and less special interest money than his predecessors.
Parties: this effects you. You have less power than if he had been a pick for and by the establishment. He was not. He earned his "independence."
It is the job of a political party to adhere to its message and platform. It is the job of the President to lead the nation. Nine months in to his presidency, President Obama's leadership style is taking shape. So far, one thing seems clear: he knows who brought him there. He heard the voices of millions of Americans who thought politics as usual had to change. If that is your promise, and partisans on both sides are mad at you over specifics you did not lay out during the campaign, it may be that you still remember what you heard, the vision of America you see, and the promises you will attempt to deliver.
After all, that is where the hold-ups are, especially where a strong public option is concerned. 65% of all Americans support it, we have 60% of the Senate yet they can't get out of park...
The talking heads in mass media continue to suggest that the US is a center right country. Not so! Last years election results and specifically the breakdown of by whom the votes were cast, support this. We are not represented in Congress, it is the many special interests who are represented. Of course as the nation's population gets poorer, the more powerful the special interests become.
It is time for independents and true progressives to get elected to Congress, but unfortunately the financial uphill battle continues. Mass media, the corporate owned and operated "propaganda" system has no interest in upsetting the apple cart, either. It is not the Independent, Green or other "third" party candidate who has the obscene advertising budget enjoyed by either D or R candidate.
As far as the President is concerned, he needs to try harder. The last occupier of "The People's House" had a much smaller majority than our current President. He got "more" done with less (majority in Congress) than this President was given by US "the People, yet he is stuck in "Park"!
Clinton and Obama. And one of those got impeached.
Bush and Bush. And one of those will go down in history as the worst president ever.
"""The Senate concluded a twenty-one day trial on February 12, 1999, with the vote on both counts falling short of the Constitutional two-thirds majority requirement to convict and remove an office holder. The final vote was generally along party lines, with no Democrats voting guilty. Some Republicans voted not guilty for both charges. On the perjury charge, fifty-five senators voted to acquit, including ten Republicans, and forty-five voted to convict; on the obstruction charge the Senate voted 50-50.""" Wikipedia