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[RedKing]

The problem is we reached a compromise between left and right long ago, and the Republicans keep moving the goalposts. Look at health care. "Obamacare," that soviet socialist communist travesty as the republicans call it, was Mitt Romney's baby until Democrats accepted it and started moving forward. At that point, it went from a perfect marriage of capitalism and social concern to the worst perversion of American society of all time, including the civil war.

So now the Democrats have to fight to protect a Republican system to protect it from Republicans, and the idea of single-payer healthcare is such a radically dangerous idea that the Democrats won't touch it with a ten foot pole.

^^^^^^
THIS. So much this.

Democrats: We're 10 meters left of center.
Republicans We're 10 meters right of center.
Democrats: Okay, we'll compromise and come to the center.
Republicans: Oh, we're now 20 meters right of center. You'll need to come this way to compromise.
Democrats: Oh. Well, we don't want to seem unreasonable, so okay....we'll move 10 meters to the right, you come 10 meters to the left.
Republicans: Oh, you'd like that, wouldn't you Comrade??! Now we're 50 meters right of center, and if you don't come over here right now, I'm gonna tell everyone that you hate America.

Repeat ad nauseum until the Democrats are busy running to the right just to keep up with the Republicans, who are going TOOT TOOT on their crazy train towards fascism.

Meanwhile, the voters who are still moderately left of center are left wondering "what the fuck? how did saying that maybe capitalism needs to be reined in a bit, and black people shouldn't be shot with impunity suddenly become 'far-left' values?"

[Max™]

Billy West for Emperor of Earth: Make America Brannigan.

[RedKing]

Billy West for Emperor of Earth: Make America Brannigan.

Chris Christie would make a great Kif Kroker.

[scriver]

The problem is we reached a compromise between left and right long ago, and the Republicans keep moving the goalposts. Look at health care. "Obamacare," that soviet socialist communist travesty as the republicans call it, was Mitt Romney's baby until Democrats accepted it and started moving forward. At that point, it went from a perfect marriage of capitalism and social concern to the worst perversion of American society of all time, including the civil war.

So now the Democrats have to fight to protect a Republican system to protect it from Republicans, and the idea of single-payer healthcare is such a radically dangerous idea that the Democrats won't touch it with a ten foot pole.

^^^^^^
THIS. So much this.

Democrats: We're 10 meters left of center.
Republicans We're 10 meters right of center.
Democrats: Okay, we'll compromise and come to the center.
Republicans: Oh, we're now 20 meters right of center. You'll need to come this way to compromise.
Democrats: Oh. Well, we don't want to seem unreasonable, so okay....we'll move 10 meters to the right, you come 10 meters to the left.
Republicans: Oh, you'd like that, wouldn't you Comrade??! Now we're 50 meters right of center, and if you don't come over here right now, I'm gonna tell everyone that you hate America.

Repeat ad nauseum until the Democrats are busy running to the right just to keep up with the Republicans, who are going TOOT TOOT on their crazy train towards fascism.

Meanwhile, the voters who are still moderately left of center are left wondering "what the fuck? how did saying that maybe capitalism needs to be reined in a bit, and black people shouldn't be shot with impunity suddenly become 'far-left' values?"

This is, I think, the consequence of Republican politicians running on such identity politics such as "not being a Democrat". If the Democrats compromise it becomes necessary to show how you're not a Democrat by moving your positions further away from them.

I also would like to add my voice to the "society is too partisan and it is fucking shit up" crowd and was going to say something shout it, but then I went to make coffee and then I forgot how to formulate my thoughts into words.

[PTTG??]

The worst part is, the republican voters I've met are, for the most part, friendly, positive, tip their servers, are good parents and co-workers, and are quick to help strangers. Just as I see with democratic voters.

People like trump have a great deal to answer for, for making good people into bad mobs.

[BorkBorkGoesTheCode]

The worst part is, the republican voters I've met are, for the most part, friendly, positive, tip their servers, are good parents and co-workers, and are quick to help strangers. Just as I see with democratic voters.

People like trump have a great deal to answer for, for making good people into bad mobs.

The sucky thing is that they may be acting good for the same reason they are demopublicans: Conformity.

[wobbly]

Maybe it's just my experience, then. Just seems like most people aren't friends with anyone who doesn"t share their views.

Probably it's because I'm terrible at a lot of social stuff but enjoy discussion. :/

That's not necessarily true. I've got a lot of friends on the opposite side of politics. If you got a lot of friends from a sport or hobby they don't necessarily share your political views but you've got common ground through the sport or hobby. You kinda just learn to avoid certain topics if it's liable to start a shit fight.

[SirQuiamus]

Maybe it's just my experience, then. Just seems like most people aren't friends with anyone who doesn"t share their views.

Probably it's because I'm terrible at a lot of social stuff but enjoy discussion. :/

That's not necessarily true. I've got a lot of friends on the opposite side of politics. If you got a lot of friends from a sport or hobby they don't necessarily share your political views but you've got common ground through the sport or hobby. You kinda just learn to avoid certain topics if it's liable to start a shit fight.

It's pretty hard to be friends with someone who wants to kill you, and that's basically what political disagreement boils down to nowadays. If your friend does not want to butcher everyone in your reference group, then you're not really on the "opposite sides" of politics, are you?

[Orange Wizard]

It's pretty hard to be friends with someone who wants to kill you, and that's basically what political disagreement boils down to nowadays.

Death to capitalists

[SirQuiamus]

It's pretty hard to be friends with someone who wants to kill you, and that's basically what political disagreement boils down to nowadays.

Death to capitalists

Morality is a lie and human rights are a capitalist plot to control the oppressed

[mainiac]

It's pretty hard to be friends with someone who wants to kill you, and that's basically what political disagreement boils down to nowadays.

Death to capitalists

Stop being racist.

[Frumple]

The worst part is, the republican voters I've met are, for the most part, friendly, positive, tip their servers, are good parents and co-workers, and are quick to help strangers. Just as I see with democratic voters.

Eeeehhh... I've seen those same folks be all that and then perfectly willing to go beat the shit out of a gay dude if they think they can get away with it. It's... not exactly unknown for folks to really be the nicest, friendliest, most magnanimous people you've met -- right up until they meet someone of the "wrong" color (or behavior, or appearance, or...). "Most part" can be a small tale depending on where the other parts land, unfortunately.

It's almost certainly a regional thing, but probably half the reason I've leaned liberal most of my life is because most of them I've met -- they may hate your guts, but they're going to stand by you getting good treatment, when it comes down to it. Fair government treatment, working conditions, educational access, the list just kinda' goes on. Even if you don't share a lot of ideological points with 'em, fundamentally you and your lifestyle are probably pretty likely to be safe.

Quite a number of the conservatives, well... I've seen the folks come to school with a broken arm, and it didn't happen by accident. The ones that have lost jobs, been shat on hard for their religious beliefs, etc., etc., etc. Most of my life a good chunk of them have literally been trying to turn(/keep) millions of americans into(/as) second class citizens... at best. It's not a phenomenon entirely limited to one side of the political spectrum, by any means, but you can damn sure believe for most of my life it's been a hell of a lot more likely to be coming out of folks voting republican (or even further right).

Lot of other reason I lean that way, but my experience in life has pretty consistently been that there's some more than a little noticeable behavioral difference between folks more likely to vote democrat or republican Definitely met more than a few conservative folks that aren't like that, and liberal voting ones that are, but so far as likelihood goes... yeah. Yeah. Most days I'd be fairly willing to admit to a dem voter I'm not christian, ferex, all other things being equal. It'd be an incredibly bad idea to do the same to a republican one, around where I live. Maybe not as bad as it was a decade or two ago, but still pretty sodding unwise, in general.

[Orange Wizard]

Eeeehhh... I've seen those same folks be all that and then perfectly willing to go beat the shit out of a gay dude if they think they can get away with it.

Thank God they're not in the majority

[Flying Dice]

It's pretty hard to be friends with someone who wants to kill you, and that's basically what political disagreement boils down to nowadays.

Death to capitalists

Stop being racist.

Shh, most people still don't know that they're lizardpeople in meat suits.

[Max™]

It's not like Trump hides that he's literally a gigantic orange lizard in a wig.