from where I'm sitting (Canada) the tone of discourse amongst the divided opinions seems pretty polarized. Do these differences permiate everyday life?
I ask, because most Americans I know live in "blue states" mostly here on the west coast.. I see pundits like Al Franken or Jon Stewart on one hand and Bill O'Reilly, Tucker Carlson, Anne Coulter on the other.. I mean, I realize its just TV - but the two sides seem to hate each other and are diametrically opposed.. whats' going on? will there ever be room for common ground?? at what point does the rhetoric cease? at the end of the day to you respect each other as Americans or resent each other for betraying one each side seems to hold as national "ideals"...
I realize this is a broad topic - just interested in the perspective of the "average American"...
2006-07-07 10:56:36 · 19 answers · asked by Anonymous in News & Events ➔ Other - News & Events
YES YES YES we are.
2006-07-13 15:34:33 · answer #1 · answered by CottonPatch 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
No they dont
See if you can find a copy of Jon Stewart trashing Tucker Carson on CNN. Stewart tellls him he is doing a terrible job by contiuing the myth that issues can be put into these 2 categories.
The point being that the media is too lazy to get beyond the surface of people shouting at each other as if it was Springer or the WWE.
2006-07-21 11:27:16 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Yes we are very divided, I believe is has to do with the "civil war" (what an oxymoron that is). We have very divided views on all sorts of issues. I personally feel that our history has played a very important role in this present situation. Things that happened over 200 years ago are still deeply ingrained in the minds of most people. I am a Conservative very much on the right side of things. I don't however, get all mad and yell and scream about my difference of opinion, I think a good many people who do all that hell rasing are simply trying to attract attention. You are gleaning a good bit of your info from television as you stated. Let me give you a little bit of wise advise, don't believe anything the media says.
2006-07-21 16:34:40 · answer #3 · answered by Only hell mama ever raised 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Interesting question-- I think the news media likes to play up differences between people in the United States. A large majority of people are probably a lot closer on issues than the media would have you believe. Simply put, the elites benefit from polarizing the people on issues.
2006-07-20 19:24:18 · answer #4 · answered by MTSU history student 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Yes and No. The politcal positions do seem to be widely and deeply polarized in America. However, people of divergent opinions do get along and work together every day. TV thrives on controversy, so they do tend to play it up for ratings. Support for any controversial position usually runs a mile wide and an inch deep.
2006-07-18 13:34:16 · answer #5 · answered by loon_mallet_wielder 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
EVERYTHING has a political connotation here in the US...
whatever television says is either from Hollywood (hype) or the media (hype) or some kind of political statement (hype)
most of us average americans just look at it as entertainment and don't really care about it...it is just something to make us all wonder what the other guy is up to
2006-07-21 19:42:40 · answer #6 · answered by uranus2mars 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
very divided; this is not so much visible publicly, but if you listen to the way people talk amongst themselves there is a sickening divide wherein both sides tend to reflexively label the position of the opposition as ridiculous and untenable. Fortunately we are rapidly approaching the closest thing yet to concensus on the president's performance.
2006-07-18 15:48:13 · answer #7 · answered by dr schmitty 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Come college football or college baseball, yeah, we're seriously divided then. I live in Nebraska. I don't mind the Southern states, though I know people who bash Arkansas like crazy. So, go figure. Politically, yeah, it can get nasty. Thankfully we don't have to listen to them but once every 4 years (for the most part).
2006-07-21 13:46:45 · answer #8 · answered by kath68142 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Yes. I live in a blue state in New England and we are a lot more tolerant than the midwest. I dont think I could live out there. I think the press does have a lot to do with it, but what DONT they have a lot to do with? I think it's more of the haves vs the have nots.
2006-07-21 15:37:53 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Interesting question. I'm Canuck myself so I'm not qualified to answer, but am going to put this on my "watch list". Hopefully you'll actually get some decent responses.
2006-07-13 13:56:21 · answer #10 · answered by scubabob 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
split in 2
2006-07-21 06:54:05 · answer #11 · answered by cookedermott 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋