I appreciate the nod to Newt Gingrich, and while it's entirely sensible to attribute the sorting to larger, structural changes (Cold War, tech., etc.), I do think Gingrich directing an entire party and it's full media apparatus to refer to democrats as enemies, to continually say that democrats hate and are destroying America, to model t…
I appreciate the nod to Newt Gingrich, and while it's entirely sensible to attribute the sorting to larger, structural changes (Cold War, tech., etc.), I do think Gingrich directing an entire party and it's full media apparatus to refer to democrats as enemies, to continually say that democrats hate and are destroying America, to model that they should be treated beneath contempt, etc. - that to me is the defining factor explaining where we are today. People follow leaders. Republicans/Red America saw their politicians, radio and TV personalities, other local leaders, treat democrats as enemies for 30 years, so while it was shocking to then see republicans side with Putin over America, it should not have been surprising.
Yes, there are several reasons for why we are here now, but nothing (IMO) explains it more than an entire party deciding the whole of the other political party and its voters are their *enemies*, not just a competing political party. Everything flows from that.
It's a large part of the "I know Trump is a corrupt, evil, treasonous moron but I'll vote for him anyway because Democrats are evildoers destroying America" mindset. It's what's behind the Supreme Court's concern that Trump's criminal charges are scary partisan attacks on a former president and not evidence that he committed the worst crimes against American democracy than any other president in history. They've all bought into the "Democrats evil" narrative that's been beamed into their brains for 40 years.
On the Democratic side, let me share my own perspective - Massachusetts, where I grew up, is known as a deep blue state but for most of my life, we had Republican governors. Good, competent, not crazy, popular governors. I also voted for Republicans for other offices over the years. But while the Republicans were learning to hate their fellow citizens and turning themselves into a party that deifies, justifies, cheers and supports the most vile human imaginable, I was learning that this party cannot be trusted with power and so I will never, ever, for any reason vote for a Republican again, even if I think they may be a better candidate. In my view, they've forfeited their right to power.
I appreciate the nod to Newt Gingrich, and while it's entirely sensible to attribute the sorting to larger, structural changes (Cold War, tech., etc.), I do think Gingrich directing an entire party and it's full media apparatus to refer to democrats as enemies, to continually say that democrats hate and are destroying America, to model that they should be treated beneath contempt, etc. - that to me is the defining factor explaining where we are today. People follow leaders. Republicans/Red America saw their politicians, radio and TV personalities, other local leaders, treat democrats as enemies for 30 years, so while it was shocking to then see republicans side with Putin over America, it should not have been surprising.
Yes, there are several reasons for why we are here now, but nothing (IMO) explains it more than an entire party deciding the whole of the other political party and its voters are their *enemies*, not just a competing political party. Everything flows from that.
Very true.
It's a large part of the "I know Trump is a corrupt, evil, treasonous moron but I'll vote for him anyway because Democrats are evildoers destroying America" mindset. It's what's behind the Supreme Court's concern that Trump's criminal charges are scary partisan attacks on a former president and not evidence that he committed the worst crimes against American democracy than any other president in history. They've all bought into the "Democrats evil" narrative that's been beamed into their brains for 40 years.
On the Democratic side, let me share my own perspective - Massachusetts, where I grew up, is known as a deep blue state but for most of my life, we had Republican governors. Good, competent, not crazy, popular governors. I also voted for Republicans for other offices over the years. But while the Republicans were learning to hate their fellow citizens and turning themselves into a party that deifies, justifies, cheers and supports the most vile human imaginable, I was learning that this party cannot be trusted with power and so I will never, ever, for any reason vote for a Republican again, even if I think they may be a better candidate. In my view, they've forfeited their right to power.
And here we are.