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29 Feb 2012 01:54

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Politics: Is partisanship the problem? Or is our political system the problem?

  • Snowe’s retirement will have many lamenting the endangered moderate and wondering how we can turn back the clock. But we can’t. About that, Snowe is right. Polarization is with us now and will be with us for the foreseeable future. The question is whether we will permit it to paralyze our political system and undermine our country or whether we will accept it and make the necessary accommodations.
  • Ezra Klein • Arguing that the problem with congress isn’t partisanship, or ideological polarization, but rather that the institutions and procedures codified in our political system aren’t well-equipped to handle a polarized congress. Klein’s prime example is the filibuster, which as we’ve seen the past couple of years, is absolutely crippling when the two parties in the Senate don’t agree on anything. “Our system, as any historian will tell you, was built by men who hated parties and anticipated their absence from American politics,” Klein says. “But as the two parties have polarized, we’ve learned that a system built for consensus is not able to properly function amid constant partisan competition.” source

24 Jan 2011 22:13

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Politics: Mitch McConnell won’t participate in bipartisan seating arrangements

  • yes In a rare show of unity, Republicans and Democrats are pairing together at the State of the Union address.
  • no Senator Mitch McConnell won’t be partaking in the festivities; “I’m going to sit where I usually sit,” he told Fox News.
  • maybe If a Democratic legislator walks up to McConnell’s table and sits next to him anyway, will he change seats? source

24 Feb 2010 10:49

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Politics: Partisanship tally: GOP most to blame, but Dems should bend

  • 67% of Americans don’t think that the GOP is doing enough to work with Obama
  • 52% say the same thing about Obama working together with the Republican Party
  • 54% say Democrats, not Republicans have to take the first step to mend the rift source