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Last week my daughter's 6th grade class engaged in a mock debate. In preparation, she and her classmates had to pick a position: for Romney, for Obama, or Undecided. Her assigned homework included writing down 10 "pros" for her candidate along with 5 "cons" for the opposition candidate. As you can probably imagine, 6th grade pros and cons are...interesting.

She came home that day excited to tell me she had been instrumental in her team winning because she had convinced an undecided to take her side's view while preventing a conversion to the other side. One of the boys, an undecided, apparently ran off screaming, "I can't take it! I don't want to be part of this anymore!" Fractal?

It's no mystery to my daughter who I am supporting in this election and I think she was proud to let her dad know she'd fought the good fight. And I was proud of her enthusiasm and engagement. She's a great kid (in case the eternal recorded words of the internet ever make it to her eyes).

High on victory, she asked me what I would do if the other guy won the actual election? My thoughts to her and in general as today unfolds:

Kiddo, regardless of the outcome I hope I could be proud to be part of this great country and - whatever my differences with his views - recognize him as the President of the American people. Democrat or Republican, we're all American's first. Or we should be. If that stops being the case, we've all lost.

Ridiculous. The differences between the parties now are as stark as night and day.

Democrat or Republican, we're all American's first. Or we should be. If that stops being the case, we've all lost.

It could be argued that ceased with FDR. LBJ for sure.

bcspace wrote:Ridiculous. The differences between the parties now are as stark as night and day.

Democrat or Republican, we're all American's first. Or we should be. If that stops being the case, we've all lost.

It could be argued that ceased with FDR. LBJ for sure.

BC,

There are many times I wonder if people actually hear and comprehend the subtext of what they are saying. This is one of those times.

There are many times I wonder if people actually hear and comprehend the subtext of what they are saying. This is one of those times.

Me too. You seem to believe in that which no longer exists. The time for peaceful acceptance is long past. Matthew 10 now applies.

Dixville Notch, New Hampshire:

Romney 5 votes
Obama 5 votes
(None for Gary or Virgil)

First tie in their history.

honorentheos wrote:

bcspace wrote:Ridiculous. The differences between the parties now are as stark as night and day.

Democrat or Republican, we're all American's first. Or we should be. If that stops being the case, we've all lost.

bcspace wrote:It could be argued that ceased with FDR. LBJ for sure.

honorentheos wrote:BC,

There are many times I wonder if people actually hear and comprehend the subtext of what they are saying. This is one of those times.

Agreed. The word 'patriotism' has come to mean 'agreeing with me', and the word 'compromise' is seen as the badge of a traitor or a sellout. People have forgotten that compromise is the basis for democracy. As Shelby Foote observed "Americans like to think of themselves as uncompromising but it’s the basis of our democracy, our government is founded on it."

Why have we become so partisan, so polarized? I think part of the reason is how much money it takes to run for office. It's much easier to get a large donation if you convince your supporters that winning is essential for the survival of the country. The way to do that is to demonize the other side. Such a climate favors the extreme partisan, both in the primaries and for fundraising.

I believe that another part of the problem is the increasing gap between the rich on one side and the middle and lower classes on the other. The greater the economic disparity, the less chance there is of finding common ground.

We have created a dysfunctional system, where increasingly the people who are more likely to get elected are less likely to govern.

The reality is whether you are a Democrat or a Republican, about half the people are going to disagree with you most of the time. We have to recognize that absolute victory is not in the cards for either party.

our system, by design, is one reliant on antagonism....ever since Burr and Adams, Federalist and Anti-Federalist, etc..
It is through that crucible that our country progresses....always has and always will...the wisdom of our founding fathers is recognizing that the only alternative is bloodshed.

bcspace wrote:

There are many times I wonder if people actually hear and comprehend the subtext of what they are saying. This is one of those times.

Me too. You seem to believe in that which no longer exists. The time for peaceful acceptance is long past. Matthew 10 now applies.

Dixville Notch, New Hampshire:

Romney 5 votes
Obama 5 votes
(None for Gary or Virgil)

First tie in their history.

I heard that on BBC. 2 Democrats 3 republicans and 5 independents. Even split…. Interesting beginning.

I see your comment as a false dichotomy between peaceful acceptance and militant divisiveness. If respectful disagreement is now a lost art, its not a failure of the virtue of the form. 1 John 2 my friend.

MeDotOrg wrote:

honorentheos wrote:Democrat or Republican, we're all American's first. Or we should be. If that stops being the case, we've all lost.

Why have we become so partisan, so polarized? I think part of the reason is how much money it takes to run for office. It's much easier to get a large donation if you convince your supporters that winning is essential for the survival of the country. The way to do that is to demonize the other side. Such a climate favors the extreme partisan, both in the primaries and for fundraising.

I believe that another part of the problem is the increasing gap between the rich on one side and the middle and lower classes on the other. The greater the economic disparity, the less chance there is of finding common ground. ...

The reality is whether you are a Democrat or a Republican, about half the people are going to disagree with you most of the time. We have to recognize that absolute victory is not in the cards for either party.

MeDotOrg,

I agree, and well put. I'd only add the 24-hour for-profit news cycle to the equation. In order to keep people from changing the channel and coming back, the majority of news outlets engage in drama creation. I think that exacerbates the causes you pointed out. We're all whipped up in a furry for our team, it's been a back-and-forth contest, and now the ball's on 4th and goal with 0:01 on the clock - and then they let the fans onto the field to make the last play on election day. Who wouldn't be emotional over a win or loss?

honorentheos wrote: I'd only add the 24-hour for-profit news cycle to the equation. In order to keep people from changing the channel and coming back, the majority of news outlets engage in drama creation. I think that exacerbates the causes you pointed out. We're all whipped up in a furry for our team, it's been a back-and-forth contest, and now the ball's on 4th and goal with 0:01 on the clock - and then they let the fans onto the field to make the last play on election day. Who wouldn't be emotional over a win or loss?

A very important point. With the demise of the fairness doctrine, and the proliferation of cable news and the internet, it is now possible to hear only the opinions with which you agree, which makes it much easier to be right all the time. ;-)

I see your comment as a false dichotomy between peaceful acceptance and militant divisiveness.

Now you're getting it. The entire subtext of the scriptures (and therefore my subtext) is war.

If respectful disagreement is now a lost art, its not a failure of the virtue of the form. 1 John 2 my friend.

Love that chapter:

3 And hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his commandments.
4 He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him.

6 He that saith he abideth in him ought himself also so to walk, even as he walked

17 And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever.

22 Who is a liar but he that denieth that Jesus is the Christ? He is antichrist, that denieth the Father and the Son.
23 Whosoever denieth the Son, the same hath not the Father: [but] he that acknowledgeth the Son hath the Father also.

No Democrat in this day and age walks with Christ. It's an intrinsic property of the situation.

29 If ye know that he is righteous, ye know that every one that doeth righteousness is born of him.

Socialism and big government tyranny, appeasement of those who oppress their people, abortion as a method of birth control, and gay marriage are not righteousness.

9 He that saith he is in the light, and hateth his brother, is in darkness even until now.
10 He that loveth his brother abideth in the light, and there is none occasion of stumbling in him.
11 But he that hateth his brother is in darkness, and walketh in darkness, and knoweth not whither he goeth, because that darkness hath blinded his eyes.

Are you ready to declare that Jesus, who initiated and pronounced quite a lot of violence on the wicked, Old Testament and New Testament, hates his brother?