Quote:
Originally Posted by Silverback51
We have become to polarized in our believes and it's always the other side that caused the problem.
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The destruction of inherent trust in the office of the Presidency and the destruction of bipartisanship in Congress could lead to no other result.
To a certain extent, you have to trust your CO. He might be of the other party, he might be one or more sorts of idiot, but he's the guy the nation elected and is entitled to a certain radius of "hands off" and noninterference. If he screws up, unelect him next time. Nixon destroyed that trust and as a result we've had 35 years of unbelievable micro-management and armchair quarterbacking (always with a large contingent ready to shoot the QB), something no business CEO or military officer would stand for a second. It can only lead to dissatisfaction and poor judgment; how well do YOU drive when someone you can't tell to shut up is hectoring you with every turn of the wheel?
The loss of bipartisanship is more grievous. Since Reagan, who took his slim party majority as a sledgehammer, it's been an all-or-nothing battle. Any slim majority was enough to run roughshod over the other guys, damn the cost because Nyah Nyah We're In Control Now! What both parties have lost sight of is that neither one has had more than a very slight majority in Congress, ever. If one party has a whopping 60% majority... it means the other guys represent 40% of the nation. Ignoring that 40% means only that the current reigning party is going to take it in the @$$ when the balance tips the other way.
I don't think we'll ever regain the pre-Nixon trust of the office. But burying partisanship under a recognition that no party has represented more than about half the country at any time is a crucial goal.