Do you think the "politicizing" of key issues benefits anything but the politicians in the two-party system?

Question

So I've got an hour commute and I have to think about something.

Has anyone else noticed that when either of the parties "claims" an issue, it immediately becomes a pariah to the other?

It's like you can't worry about the environment if you're a conservative Republican. You can't worry about the degradation of the family, high divorce rates, other "moral" issues if you're a liberal Democrat.

I've begun to think this is why nothing ever gets done to "fix" Social Security...neither party wants its opponent in the White House or control of the legislative branch to go down in history for doing so.

"Worry" is a poor choice of words on my part. I meant it figuratively to represent actually being active in promoting things that support your "cause." ;o)

Answer 1

I personally believe that while we are afforded the right to participate in government via our "elected" officials, Coragryph's is right we don't have a two party system. However he is wrong that this system is multi-faceted. To the contrary we are deceived into believing that we have a choice. Democrats, Republicans, and Independents are all the same. there are no true distinctions between any of them, and the wedge issues of same sex marriage, affirmative action, among others are nothing more than intentional distractions that forces us to focus on trivial issues while the serious problems of gun violence, illegitimate wars, terror, educational disarray,etc go unchecked. Our system of government must be returned to the people where transparency is priority number one. And the officials we elect are beholden to the people who put them there, rather than to big business.

Answer 2

Sometimes "special interests" politicize issues for their own profit.

Talk about single payer health care. Why is Germany's administrative cost 17% whule ours is 36%? But watch the insurance companies, HMOs, and the AMA scream. Would having 19% savings on health care be a bad thing for either party?

There was a huge campaign for a ballot measure over workers comp insurance in Oregon. Largest financial supporter: an insurance company.

There was some concensus during the cold war. But it started eroding after the collapse of the Soviet Unoin (Reagan administration). Bush's policies have managed to destroy the last scraps.

Answer 3

You're right - but I'm more worried about the fact that some of the issues are technical and the politicians often have no clue what they are talking about.

Tax revenue, for example is up. It's rising at over 4X the rate of inflation. It's up because incomes are up. Period. But because some people don't want to admit they were wrong, or because higher incomes mean people are less dependent upon government thus less likely to have their votes bought with government largesse, they make up phony reasons to oppose making the tax cuts permanent.

Bill Richardson is an exception to this. If we MUST have a Democrat, let's elect him.

Answer 4

We don't have a two-party system. We are supposed to have a many-party system. And the concept if parties is not even in the Constitution at all.

However, the two major political parties have managed to gerrymander and corrupt the political process so they can retain a lock on power, at the expense of the American people.

And politicians, as a rule, tend to be far more concerned with keeping themselves in power, and scoring partisan political points, than actually doing their job. That's true of both current dominate parties.

Answer 5

Well, I think global warming/climate change is a great example of that. Many people are pushing to ensure it a non-political issue. However, because Gore is a huge proponent of preventing climate change people have jumped on the idea that saving the earth for generations to come is a liberal ideal

Answer 6

Thus you have hit the nail on the head. This is why we need more than two (realistic) choices. Most tough issues have tough, complicated solutions, not simple "my way or their way" faux choices. This is true of health care/Iraq/education/social security/etc.

Answer 7

it seems to work for the Dems of course they have an easy to persuade audience too. J/K (sort of)

I think there is too much of that going on with all politicians and that is why alot of people do not trust them.