Polarization of America

[Pio1980]

Originally Posted by whell

Folks in this forum often like to accuse the Tea Party of pulling the Repubs to the right, while suggesting that most Americans - and themselves - are more centrist or center-left. That's never rung true from my perspective.

I believe both parties, and those that support them, are moving further away from the center resulting in more political polarization. I think that's what accounts for the political gridlock, as representatives of both parties and their constituents have less incentive to proactively seek common ground.

Now comes a Pew study which seems to lend credence to the view that Americans are increasingly polarized. It impacts who everything from who they socialize with to where they choose to live. To me, if this is true, it explains a lot: from our increasing political polarization to our increasing intolerance of individuals and institutions that may not reflect our points of view.

Food for thought.

http://news.yahoo.com/growing-partis...lTxE0Amk3QtDMD

Oddly I find that this polarization doesn't affect my associations so much as do shared interests outside of politics.

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[whell]

Originally Posted by mpholland

I was replying to your comment:



The political "center" is not a true center. It is farther "right" in this country. The right will never catch up to the left in polarization. There isn't room. The right leaning centrist can only go so far before becoming a conservative. The left leaning centrist can go a long way before being considered liberal. I think PEW probably cuts their definition of liberal way before soshulist or communist.

I know. And your comment doesn't match with Pew's methodology in their study.

[bobabode]

Originally Posted by Pio1980

Oddly I find that this polarization doesn't affect my associations so much as do shared interests outside of politics.

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Same here. If political affiliation were a litmus test of friendship, I would've chucked 'Bilgewash Whelly' over the gunnels ages ago.

[merrylander]

Originally Posted by whell

From post 4 in this thread, pulled from the Pew study:

Not surprisingly, the report also says that “the rise of ideological uniformity has been much more pronounced among” political activists on the left and right. “Today, almost four-in-ten (38 percent) politically engaged Democrats are consistent liberals, up from just eight percent in 1994…” Meanwhile, 33 percent of consistent conservatives almost always voice conservative opinions, “up from 23 percent in the midst of the 1994 ‘Republican Revolution,’” said Pew.

In other words, you can continue to play the "blame the other guys" game, but the data suggests that while polarization on the right is a more recent phenomenon, the right still hasn't caught up with the level of polarization that exists on the left.

For Pete's sake can you please stay on topic. Where did I play blame the other guy? I merely commented that what the general population her considers too be the left would be closer to the center elsewhere. If the left in this country were the fanatical progressives that you portray we would have SinglePayer and not that abortion Congress foisted off on us.

[merrylander]

Originally Posted by whell

Except that's not what Pew is finding.

Go back and read post #4 again yourself. Nowhere did the study say where laft or right were relative to the rest of the world.

[Rajoo]

Shouldn't we consider the fact that on subjects like abortion, gun control and gay marriages, we basically are either for or against it with really no room for compromise. And these after all have been the major contentious subjects of late. In the case of healthcare where there is room for compromise (government vs. private), this has became a disaster mostly based on presidential politics, aka Obamacare.

[whell]

Originally Posted by merrylander

Go back and read post #4 again yourself. Nowhere did the study say where laft or right were relative to the rest of the world.

It doesn't, nor does it attempt to draw a "relative" center. It used data to determine where the center is in THIS country, and charts movement over time from there.

[whell]

Originally Posted by merrylander

For Pete's sake can you please stay on topic. Where did I play blame the other guy? I merely commented that what the general population her considers too be the left would be closer to the center elsewhere. If the left in this country were the fanatical progressives that you portray we would have SinglePayer and not that abortion Congress foisted off on us.

For Pete's sake, can't you read? All I did was post the content of post 4, which was a response not to you but to another poster.

And no, I don't agree with your conclusion about single payer. Both in 1993 - 94 and in 2009 - 2010, the Democrats could not get a consensus among Democrats that going single payer was the right course.

[whell]

Originally Posted by BeamOn

Shouldn't we consider the fact that on subjects like abortion, gun control and gay marriages, we basically are either for or against it with really no room for compromise. And these after all have been the major contentious subjects of late. In the case of healthcare where there is room for compromise (government vs. private), this has became a disaster mostly based on presidential politics, aka Obamacare.

I think the political class does consider that fact in a very calculating way. For the most part, those are topics which, in the past, have surfaced almost exclusively during election cycles. Of late, with the apparent increase in large scale domestic violence (school shootings, military base shootings, etc.) and the gay marriage issue getting frequent media play on as court cases move at the federal and state levels) the last several years have seen those to issues get play beyond the election cycle.

[whell]

Originally Posted by bobabode

If political affiliation were a litmus test of friendship, I would've chucked 'Bilgewash Whelly' over the gunnels ages ago.

You mean you haven't yet? I'm touched!