Modern Political Polarization and what to do about it.

Wow, a cable news bit that is informative and enlightening. I really enjoyed that take. Thanks for sharing.

 

Hypocrite.

 

So let me get this straight. People complain about the two party system corrupting our government but then complain when outside parties come in and refuse to compromise their beliefs? Zakaria is complaining when elected officials align with their constituents instead of doing what they want? HELLO! The government represents the people.

And transparency laws? YES! We need more hidden government. That always works best.

This is why politics is so polarized; Its human nature. We naturally gravitate to common ideas and take them upon as they are our own. As the group evolves, so do the ideas. With the internet, we can now bridge these ideas beyond our immediate circles. Its the widespread use of the internet that has really polarized our nation.

 

You just had to blame Al Gore, didn't you?

 

Shorter version - conservatives need to STFU and agree with the ruling class.

 

What is up with this rhetoric? The ruling class? Are you one of these Alex Jones drones? The dude is a paranoid schizophrenic and people act like he's God.

 

Don't know who that is.

 

If everyone who is eligible voted, that would make a big difference. Now, you have your special interest group (from either side) that can swing enough votes to be a player when a Congressman is getting elected in a contest where 45% of voters actually vote... which means 23% are voting for him. If you can influence 1% of the total electorate, you end up moving 1/8 or more of the total votes for your candidate. This makes the candidate much more beholden to a group (and the leaders of that group) than it would if everyone voted.

If everyone votes, your special interest groups get drowned out by the wave of ordinary folks and the politician has to govern from the middle to keep the 51% intact and try to increase the margin.

As it is now, with 45% tops in off-year elections and 60% tops in presidential years, we are just giving special interest groups enormous power because too few of us vote. We also make it easy on politicians because they know the percentages and can play to those numbers and try to carve out enough special interest positions to get them to 23% or 31% to win. It's ridiculous that less than a third of voters end up deciding how we're to be governed.

Of course, there is now a vested interest in keeping people from voting because it has become the established system that people know. Any big chunk of new voters is going to be fiercely resisted by establishment types.

Even if we had just 80% voting it would make a huge difference.

 

Conservatives represent the ruling class.

 

Sorry to accuse you then. "Ruling class" just sounds a little Jonesesque.

 

That and also redistricting needs to be done along population and not partisan lines.

 

I feel like the point that is lost in all of this is that an elected official has to represent his constituency. SO, if you win an election by 2 percent of the vote, there is still 45-48 percent of the constituency that did not vote for you or agree with you. Just because you won does not give you the right to trample on their voice. When making decisions it should be taken into consideration what they would want. After all they represent half of the people you represent. . . .. Right? This is why compromise is so important, when we compromise we move closer to what everyone wants. Not the most vocal on either side.

 

Because all of those red states that consist of Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, South Carolina and the midwest states are all ruling class states.

 

The problem is the other party's are not coming in as an outside party but a influential branch of the main two parties, which is causing both the Republicans and Democrats making both more ideological based and uncompromising based on political results rather than actual ruling.

Our political system is set up that it only works when compromise is involved in all decisions of the government. But with the infusion of the more extremist factions of both parties, our system might not work the way it was intended.

 

Are you intentionally obtuse?

The platform of the Republican party clearly and specifically benefits the ruling class of this country in a very real and practical sense. These same benefits don't apply to the people who vote the Republicans into office.

This really seems like it should be common knowledge. The Republicans are the party the most consistently represents the interests of wealthy Americans.

 

The two party system provides the lowest common denominator for dividing people; us and them. Whomever or whatever has the most political mass will tend to pull others to their polarity. The fringe issues get minimized and set aside and the main issues become the focus of the balance of power.

It does seem to be a pretty ridiculous approach to complex problems and limits the chance for compromise and nuance. How do you divide issues like education, pollution or medical care into black or white positions?

 

saw this in Fark thread today:

.......and who's paying for all of those elephant dicks anyway? the american taxpayer, that's who. when are we as a country going to say, enough elephant dicks is enough. we've got elephant dicks piling up to the ceiling, and i for one am sick to death of congress feeling like they can just keep stroking it higher.

Spoken like a true socialist pinko lefty america-hater. Is it any better that your ilk want nothing but donkey dicks handed out like candy so every deadbeat ne-er do well can get donkey dicks for free? Elephant dicks are what made this country great and keep it safe. Donkey dicks are the currency for the enslavement of the poor. How many donkey-dick queens driving cadillacs and spewing out 8 little donkey-dick bastards will it take for you socialist donkey-dick lovers to finally see the error of your ways?

 

So are the Democrats not the ruling class when they hold the Presidency?

 

Democrats aren't a 'class'. The ruling class doesn't change much from election to election. They also "donate" to both parties. Obama's got mad bank from them.