Were the 1987 Robert Bork hearings the beginning of the current hatred between liberals and conservatives?

Answer 1

The reason the fairness doctrine is such a hot issue is because the repeal of it unleashed the vituperous rant known as far right talk radio.
Attack broadcast was not permitted before then unless a opportunity was provided for the attacked to make a response.

That is the wellspring of the really nasty smear campaigns - and the root of the current WIDESPREAD hostility.

Before that there were hardened partisans, but they were not in such great numbers and they knew what they were talking about and not just repeating a rant.

Answer 2

The conservatives "hated" because they never got over the new deal, but liberals were in control and ignored them until the Reagan years. Once policy became really contested the animosity grew on both sides and the Bork nomination was just an early battle in what has become a war.

Answer 3

You'd have to go back AT LEAST another 22 years for me. As soon as I learned in civics class what the definitions of left and right were, I knew that the left was where I fit in and the right was where the less intelligent fit in. The rest of the 60's, especially after Nixon, just moved me further left. I gradually became less radical until 1981, when fascism REALLY hit America, and I've stayed a radical ever since, and since Bush, I hate conservatives even more today than I ever did before—enough to consider them traitors.

Answer 4

NO
Think Muskie, McGovern, Goldwater, Nixon, Mondale.

Ahhh the good old days. Internet free debate. The trolls just got beat up and the national discourse was so much more intelligible.
Now the trolls have PC's and lap tops to hide behind.
Keyboard commando, conspiracy theorists.
It was much more interesting in those days.

Answer 5

You think it only started that recently? Thomas Jefferson and John Adams were playing out the whole liberal/conservative fight in America back in the time of the Founding Fathers.

Liberalism and Conservativism are two philosophies that stretch way, way back. They wear different names at different times, but they have always been in conflict.

Answer 6

There are many ex Nixon staff members in the Bush White House -- most notably, Dick Cheney.

Cheney has long sought to expand the power of the presidency -- some would say this is in retaliation for the forced resignation of his old boss.

Answer 7

Conservatives always become livid when rights are extended to anyone who is not a "true America", i.e. a white male heterosexual.

So it goes back a lot further then 1987.

Answer 8

No, I think it's was started with the way the Reps attacked Clinton. Up to that point, things were less partisan.

Answer 9

Nope, until Reagan came along, liberals were Republicans.

Answer 10

yeah i remember that and the right never did get back for that