Are politics more divided than in years past?
90567
The most divided since the 70's for sure.
1056726
Actually, I suspect it is pretty much as it has been for most of our history.  A little research shows name-calling, rumor-mongering, "guilty until proven innocent" attitudes, and LOTS of whining about losing elections all through our history.\n\nFortunately, enough of us remember NOT to do these things, to instead disagree and dissent, even protest without rancor or undermining our own country and elected officials for political power. \n\nSome people did it to President Clinton, and claimed to be Republicans.  Now a bunch of Democrats do it and claim they represent all Democrats.  \n\nI'd call it silly, but it's really seditious.\n\nSome of us, including Democrats like myself, believe in what President Bush (and President Clinton before him) do because we know more about the complexities of the world.  For instance: my family left Islam before I was born.  Even back then they saw that Islam was making a push at world domination.  We are all still amazed at how many people just don't get that President Bush just pre-empted them before they were powerful enough to do it rather than wait and hope the world would band together in time.  Bush will go down as a villian, but he might have saved us all.\nPresident Clinton had access to the same information.  That's why he bombed Saddam more than once.\nWe're like children watching a board game, complaining about how the players aren't moving the pieces in the right direction, keep forgetting to jump other pieces, don't ever seem to crown their pieces correctly when they reach the far end of the board, and complain about how lousy the players are at playing checkers.\n\nWhile the players, patiently trying to explain, some giving up, some playing on the children's confusion to confuse them further and get their support, continue to play chess.\n\nWe're like that way too often.\n\nDon't follow blindly, but don't follow the opposition blindly, either.  Educate each other about all sides of an issue.
744849
No and no.\n\nFor several decades, most African Americans have been Democrats, and tend to vote democratic. There are Republican African Americans, but they are a minority within their ethnicity.\n\nUntil the 60's or so, most white southerners were Democrat (AKA "Dixiecrats") and black southerners were Republican -- when they were allowed to register and vote at all. This was in reaction to Lincoln's having been a Republican. \n\nSince elected Democrats, and the Democratic party tended to favor civil rights and racial equality, southern Blacks switched parties, and segregationists switched to Republian (over the next several decades).\n\nBy no means are all Caucasions Republicans. Not even close.\n\nMembers of unions long tended to be Democrats, and the split was more along economic class lines.\n\nNow the biggest split seems to be that of rural vs. urban -- with city dwellers voting Democrat, and those in sparsely-populated areas voting Republican.\n\nBut these are general trends; there have always been exceptions.\n\nRemember, African Americans are only about 12% of the US population -- if the two parties represented those two races, Democrats would be a minor party.
772154
I agree but it's nothing new. It has been going on since the beginning. I think there is still integrity in politics, but sometimes you have to fight fire with fire. I think there is more balance than we realize you just have to look really hard to see it.\n\nLook at how wild the media/mtv has gotten and yet people seem to be getting more uptight and judgemental and there are way more rules (laws) against things than I remember as a kid.
688953
No its your brain. Its the belief systems that create the divisiveness. Americans have always taken sides based on what they believe. Their party affiliation is a result of those beliefs not the other way around.
1171996
I'm a long time Democrat and I say, yes the party is getting more liberal than most of the normal members of the party would like. Too many people in the party shooting off their mouths and saying radical messed up negative things on just about every other topic, especially the war, just for their own political agenda, and not for the agenda of the mainstream party members, who are the majority of normal hard working folks like you and I in the party...
969962
I don't think we are as divided as is being said. I think we disagree on certain issues in politics, political leaders and parties. I think that everyone is individuel in their choice of religion and expressions of religious freedom. I think most of us are in agreement of social issues in America. Other issues for me is our own unique experiences in daily living. As a nation and country we do pull together and rise from the ashes together. As Americans we will always disagree but as a united nation, we were never in danger of being divided.
463248
No, the belief systems are too different. New parties might emerge, but I don't think we will have a unified America when it comes to political beliefs.
922000
Probably not, because the two parties are of opposite beliefs as to how the country should be run.  Things will settle down a little, and the barbs will be more subtle.  Remember, the Presidential election is next, and it will start up about a year before the election.
832029
It might change for the better. I don't know. I am an Independent who agrees with both sides on certain issues and I can't really say if it would be for better or worse.
409187
This is more common than many might suspect. People feel safer by spliting political power groups.
871605
I think that depending on the issue; the divisions can be relatively shallow, if the issue is rather mundane.(zoning debates, civil suits)  In a really serious issue,(like declaring war or even declaring peace, something that strikes people in the cores of their being), The division would probably be better described as polarized, with no middle ground. Now, if we were attacked from outside, there would be a joining of spirits and all of a sudden we would all be on the same side, willing to share a foxhole with someone from a radically different background, drink muddy water, and die by the thousands together, if necessary. Just my thoughts on this.
965905
i think so, however to a lesser degree than what it used to be.
391672
For a short period of time, we were united. As people moved on with their lives and took the "blinders" off, they became more divided. Conservatives shifted further to the right and Liberals to the left.
992185
What a fantastic question.\nThe politicians are definitely dividing, because most of the American public straddles smack dab down the middle of just about every issue facing America today.  That means that most of us are fairly reasonable and mindful of the complexities that face us locally and nationally; daily and life long. But because of this phenomenon, politicians have to initiate a polarization in order to pull people off of the proverbial fence. How can you have a debate if most people agree? The challenge then, is to package an argument (no matter how seemingly insignificant) to inflame  so that people will start to choose sides. This model makes it easy to hide other real issues that won't be addressed due to the smokescreen created by the subsequent brou ha ha.
229839
No! The last generation of democrats were a lot closer to the center, whereas republicans truly were the rich upper crust.  That has all changed.  The John Kennedy democrat would be a republican today, except for Teddy, of coarse. Back then, the democratic party had morality, ideals and an honest message.  Today it is a play on words.  A game to catch the opposition failing to dot an I or cross a T.  They seem to wait in the wings, watching for the opposition to make a mistake so they can pounce on the situation in hopes of gaining support.  They react instead of act!  Today, my parents would have changed ideology, they could not align themselves with the likes of Clinton, Pelosi, Kennedy, Durbin, Gore or Kerry.
497319
I'd say that voters need to update their knowledge about the political system. It's not like 200 years back when you just voted for one or the other party, if you are aware that things changed then you should inform yourself of what to vote for.