The Closing of the American Mind

No one seemed to be bothered by "partisonship" when right wing radio took off in the 80's or Fox News went on the air in the mid '90s. It seems the MSM only started complaining about the "p" word with the recent growth of the progressive movement on the Internet and on talk radio. Now people like Thomas see something sinister. You don't need to be a genius to figure out what is going on.

Evan, how does your high Broderism explain away the fact that as partisanship has risen since the '80s, actual voter participation has risen, not fallen?

See Markos Moulitsas' excellent analysis of recent history for the details:

http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2007/12/27/95010/179/336/426798

Then come back and apologize for ignoring that history.

It doesn't take a genius, just an honest reporter, to actually look at the real numbers and analyze them. See Mr. Thomas, it looks like this:
http://kos.dailykos.com/

For Washington media hacks like Evan Thomas "bipartisanship" means progressive Democrats cave on every issue. You never hear a peep out of them when Republicans are starting disastrous wars and ramming through a far right agenda.

Vote? You are joking right! Gather Lawyers, Guns and Money, or you are doomed!

Until significant numbers of our elected officials are jailed for corruption, your vote shall stay as irrelevant as it has been!

Hillary Clinton voting for the war, and a blank check for the war is against everything she stands for, unfortunately there are forces that control individuals in Washinton that is beyond our realm. Inotherwords if a politician is in trouble they will go against their own principles just to save themselves. This is why I say Hillary should be appointed to a health and childrens welfare committee under an Obama presidency. That way she will not be susceptible to scandal. The Clintons have shown time and time again that they are too political. Their decisions are based on what's best for them first and the people second. Hillary Clinton laughs at the fact that there are individuals who can tell her what kind of president to be. If going negative assists her she will do it, if going family helps her she will do it. These individuals in Washington have been programed to adhere to the will of special interst lobbyists. Why do you think we fund Israeli security forces. The politician is guided by their own narrow interests. This the conclusion I have come too over the holidays. The democrats that have been in the Senate and in the Congress for the last 6 years and have done nothing on a national scale. Edwards has done nothing as a Senator, his voting record indicates he has gone along with whatever the mainstream has wanted him to do, Clinton has done what ever the mainstream has wanted her to do, and pelosi has been playing games and is getting schooled everyday. I have no choice but to vote for OBAMA, what other hope is exist. We need someone who is not programmed and that can bring unity. Obama has not flip floped, he has run a steady and unified campaign even when he was down in the polls, his campaign has stayed focused and positive. Clinton went from negative, to bashing, to family . What is going it is like a script has been written everyday and Hillary is just the actor reading the lines. Like I said there are those that think they are far more experienced and knowledgable than us, but when you look at their individual record it is as if they never had experience. We are stupid and this is why our candidates act stupid. Remember our candidates are a reflection of our society, do what you half to do to get ahead even if it means going against your principles. Experience.

You do not control the Government the Government controls you, and this has to change. We are not talking race we are talking constitution. The Government is cleverly taking over our civil liberties, slowly, intelligently. Keeping us dumb. Romney is playing the same card Bush did. There stupid so do not play smart.

Right On with this article. As one in the middle, I am tired of the attempts to classify me. Even one of my oldest friends, who still lives where we grew up, considers me as gone astray, while he fortifies himself against the opposite pole's propaganda by assidously reading - and forwarding - the blogs and orgs. that support his side. The question is: how can we combat this? In this day of information overload, would-be experts, whose agenda is to 1.) get published or perish; and 2.) continue to get published, force the polarization perception. Polls, both statistically legitimate and the ones stuck in the corners of various websites (you know the ones I mean) force a this or that decision. There is no option for "throw the whole bunch out and get me somebody who can help". Regarding your closing sentence - I do go out and vote, but for whom, and how? The votes I cast are immediately interpreted as "one or the other", I don't get a line item veto on the platforms of the candidates for whom I vote. I'm not red or blue. I am a color in the middle.

This article describes perfectly how I feel. 20% of the population exists on the fringes of the left and right, whilst the other 80% of us mow our lawns, pay our taxes and generally try and lead good lives. We are not involved in politics and sometimes forget to vote because the 20% on the fringes control the two political parties. Our current method of primary elections, fund raising and the like prevent moderate candidates, the likes of which I would support, from making it to the general election, thus I could care less about the candidates that do.

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Each person has the most power within one's own community. Voting for some government person is a cop out for developing our own community of dialog, debate, discusion, FUN, chatting. Right now we are all so separated from each other that we do not have a clue what is happening anywhere. The power of money and the indoctrination happening in our schools leaves us feeling clueless and helpless.
Read John Taylor Gatto's book DUMBING US DOWN, and his website.
Necessary to change anything is a change in the basic way we live. We need to have
"People" engaged and empowered in an enriched environment
"SOCIAL CAPITAL" "HUMAN ENERGY"
We are not a democracy. Our people are very separated.
Money /capital and people involvement are basic to any problem.
I ask that you give some attention to two theories that I advocate for:

1. We need to develop more ???social capital???, about the environment we are in,
person to person sharing, cooperating, mentoring, supporting, etc.
We do not have this, because we have lost much of the family small group support,
and we do not have PLACES where we can meet, play, interact, discuss, etc.
- school buildings, churches, social enters, etc.
I have mostly the bars to go to if I wish to go out at a non pre-arranged time.
2. We need to restructure k-12 education
to give ???credit for education??? rather than ???credit for time???
i.e. 180 days = 2nd grade, 3rd grade, etc. ad nauseum.
The expense of giving credit for only!!! what happens in a school building is
antique, expensive, frustrating, alienating, etc.

Our schools and churches train / indoctrinate for an authoritarian system,
and then we wonder why we have non-acting citizens.
I believe that attention to these extra resources of money and time, can enhance your efforts!!
I will offer my time freely to elaborate on these.
I have an old book draft at www.chieffinc.org
Being older, a homemaker, depressed, etc. I find it very difficult to have a voice in our culture.
I am asking for help.

Yours truly,
Janet Van Asten jan@intsol.net 920-734-0376 cell 920-850-6530
1035 S. Kernan Ave. Appleton, WI. 54915

QQ more losers

Some of you have gotten way off the point. Mr. Evans is trying to point out that political discourse has either cemented public thought or turned it off where voting is concerned.
I contend that people (those who care) are becoming more informed, depending on where (or if) they search. It looks to me like Mr. Evans does not like that. I do not think he likes the fact that one can look at DRUDGE and pick any number of publications and/or writers and get a plethora of opinion from both sides of an issue. I do not think he likes all the cable news channels where issues can be gone into in depth and actually interview experts who perhaps disagree. That is healthy and gives us the opportunity to think for ourselves. I also find it interesting that quite often Real Clear Politics will put up two articles that come from opposite points of view on the same page; quite stimulating and thought-provoking. It is all there if you bother to look. If you look at both sides, at least you will have the benefit of counterpoint and can then draw your own conclusion. No doubt you will agree with one point of view more than the other. As for the folks who do not bother to look at the news channels or read publications: I do not want them voting!!!! With no information, they are like cattle being driven in a certain direction, not really knowing where they are going or what to do when they get there. (I think that happened in Florida and it did not work well: pandemonium!) And, as I ended my first comment: do not despair. Some of us are still paying attention. We can go the distance. Dropping out and not listening or reading for a while helps. You can jump back in and catch up easily and perhaps get fresh perspective. Just stay informed as best you can and GO VOTE!

The lack of Statesmanship is what is missing in today's political scene. There is nothing wrong with pointing out in a vigorous manner that your opponent in a campaign is WRONG but that is a far cry from the demonization policy of every political campaign going on in 2007. I want the candidate who gets my vote to state that his/her opponent is wrong but do it with tact, style, and substance and recognize that in winning the campaign they will govern those who they villify and stop it.

Yes, there have been arguments but Aaron Burr could never hve contributed to the Constitution as Hamilton did. One must read the Federalist Papers to appreciate what was accomplished. Read Madison @10 or Hamilton's #21 to see how they treated Factions in the C;onstitution by its design. One dismissel the problem by partisianship rather than FACTIONS. John Locke and David Hume weere liberally spread through the Constitution and not to know them is not to know the founders. We could not construct the Constitution today, we have neither the ability, nor the experience. When dthe governments design is hodge-podged by ignorant leadeers and ill informed Congress and Courts. I doubt there is a person in congress or government that has read Locke and his Essay Conceerning Human Understanding that will explain why it is not partisianship but factions--watch your words my man.

This is not unknown, Madison in Federalist paper #10 discussed FACTIONS at great length and the need to structure a system to control them, whether political, religious, racial, etc. When congress enabled the administration to decide invasions, etc. its essence was betrayed and of course, there are many other examples. A reading of the Federalist Papers will reveal many concerns for this, including Hamiltons Paper #21.. When Senator Kyl leads the republican Party in Congress and bush had his Rove, what can one expect?

Freedom is a paradox: freedom in desire and freedom in mind. When you choose the freedom in desire, you will also gain the griefs in mind. Else you select the freedom in mind, you should curb your unreasonable desires, and to be responsible for others and yourself.

Posted by: JonathanSc1
I believe the American public in general are tired of the lip service that the political community offers. Our elected officials need to do the things that they campained for and do their very best to do what is right for the majority of the people. The presidential canidates need to stand behind the ideals that they speak of and to fulfill some promises that they have stated. Also, the president, congress, senate,house of representatives, judges, police, military, and border patrol need to take care of things, for example: protect our borders, deport illegal immigrants, a strong military, a strong economy, a free society to where Biblical views and values can be expressed in the home without intimidation or the elimination from the educational system or the public, to keep all our land and properties intact, and to do what is right for the common good of all citizens. God bless each legal citizen and America!

Very few people read newspapers and blogs anyway. It's teachers, preachers and parents who stuff stupid ideas down more and more ignorant kids who no longer question, think for themselves and push boundaries. America is regressing into a anti-intelligence morass who worship at the feet of improbable deities who generate fear and celebrate compliance. Just what the President ordered.