Are we too polarized?

Question

Do you think liberals and conservatives are too polarized to ever come together and agree on anything again? We used to be a great society and we celebrated and debated our differences. Not anymore.

Answer 1

We need leadership in Congress and in the White House that directly addresses this issue, tips his or her hat to both parties past for their good ideas, and, address the serious issues with reconciliation for the future!

Answer 2

Notice one answer was from "Libs Hate America" -- I think that says a lot.

For decades now there has been an increasing voice of hate coming from the right -- Limbaugh being the first big name, I believe.

These people spew the same lies, day after day -- liberals are evil, they are all terrorists who hate America, etc., etc., etc.

I once asked a question on this site, asking for a numerical estimate of how many Americans are terrorists who hate America (few gave any quantitative response).

A lot of people just said "libs" "every liberal" and similar things (or "dems").

I mean, think about it. Every person of liberal views or a registered Democrat is a terrorist who hates America. That's more than a hundred MILLION Americans who are terrorists who hate America, in the mantra of the wing-nuts.

And that's a certainty -- not to be questioned or doubted. Every person who holds the values on which this country was founded (dissent, freedom of religion, right of freedom from interference by the government) is evil and an enemy of the state.

"Too polarized to ever come together"? Well, I wouldn't say EVER, but, with such hate casually bandied about, it's hard to see when we can again have reasonable discourse.

To my mind, one of the most worrisome things is that we are now torturers. The Support the President people are now defending torture as acceptable -- I suspect that there's more and more support for such barbarity all the time.

Something that is a point of agreement for nearly everyone (in the world, as well as here) is now a point of contention -- it's been made controversial.

Answer 3

Yes !! Since the 70's the left went too far left, and then in the '80's the "Moral-Majority" hijacked the Republican Party.

It's the parties, the media, and the corporations... and sadly the populace which rarely reads any longer.

It's annoying to be fiscally-conservative, yet pro-choice (states choice). Pro-marriage, yet a fan of "Queer-Eye"... ah the conflicts go on.

Answer 4

Perhaps we are, but I think it was due in fact that the government was imbalanced for far too long. Our government seems to works best when there is balance between the conservative and liberal forces, but for the past several years we lost that balance, and the scales tilted towards the right. I think now we have begun to move closer to the center, and to a more balanced government again.

Answer 5

We need a President that concentrates on our likenesses whether than our differences. The issues this President talks about are those things that polarize us, yet there are many moderate stances where we could mostly come together. Debate is not encouraged by this administration, dissent is squelched, teachers are ousted. Bush & his friends are dividers. As a Democrat, I'm guilty of being too angry too, but Democrats-please keep it civil and answer anger & name-calling with facts. The facts are on our side.

Answer 6

Yes, some people take the "it's my way or the highway attitude". It is the closed minded and low IQ people that use the "you are either with us or against us" mentality.

Answer 7

I think that went out the window when liberals started calling the acts of burning flags and blocking traffic "intelligent discourse".

Answer 8

Your right t seems everyone wants to fight over their ideologies rather than address the problems.
Seems sort of childish.

Answer 9

gee....ya think?

who can we thank for this?? karl rove, cheney, dubya and fellow idiots.

i love when bush tries to say the word "bi-partisanship" with a straight face. pure comedy.