America really is two different political countries these days

[savalez]

By Chris Cillizza July 28 at 11:27 AM - WAPO

Alan Abramowitz, a professor of political science at Emory University, in Georgia sent me an email Sunday night offering an alternate theory: It's not growing uncertainty that is afflicting the country but rather growing partisan divisions. "Democrats and Republicans disagree much more than in the past about what they want government to do, and right now neither party’s supporters are getting what they want," Abramowitz wrote. "But the data show very clearly that voters like their own party and its leaders as much as ever. They just dislike the other party and its leaders much more than ever. "



As you can see, sentiment toward one's own party has been both positive and steady for the last three decades, generally at or above 70 on the temperature scale. Since the 1980s, however, feelings about the opposition party have absolutely cratered -- from the mid 40s in 1982 all the way down to the mid 20s by the 2012 presidential election.

~snip~

The conclusion I draw from the numbers above -- and I believe Abramson shares -- is that we are increasingly moving toward two entirely separate Americas, a liberal one and a conservative one. Residents in each of those countries have responded in drastically different ways to the consequential events -- the September 11 terrorist attacks, Hurricane Katrina, the NSA spying scandal, the economic downturn -- of the last decade. Each country is certain that their policy prescriptions are the right reaction to the societal and cultural upheaval facing the U.S. and the world. And, they are even more convinced that the other country's solutions are totally and completely wrong. And not just wrong but potentially very, very dangerous.

There seem to be only two outcomes to these tensions: 1) One country wins out or 2) The two countries split in some irreversible way. It's hard to imagine either scenario coming to pass right now. But, something has to give.

Source: http://m.washingtonpost.com/blogs/the-fix/wp/2014/07/28/america-really-is-two-different-political-countries-these-days/?wpisrc=nl_fix

[BillZBubb]

1. The strange thing is that the republican party has moved far to the right

into loony tunes land, yet their party satisfaction remains high. It's amazing that so many people can be pulled along in such a radical shift. Fox and the corporate media have made that possible.

The Democrats have drifted slightly to the right, so it isn't surprising their party satisfaction hasn't moved much.

[Cosmocat]

6. Correct - and this continues to absolutely flumox me

"Democrats and Republicans disagree much more than in the past about what they want government to do, and right now neither party’s supporters are getting what they want," Abramowitz wrote. "But the data show very clearly that voters like their own party and its leaders as much as ever. They just dislike the other party and its leaders much more than ever. "

This is the frame even "non-partisan" people fall into.

The "they are both the same" thing.

Republicans have gone flat fucking insane.

Democrats are wondering around cluelessly.

There is no great pull to "the left" from the party, or even the voices for that matter.

The pols are cowering in a corner scared of their own shadows while the talk from the voice is mostly abject horror at how crazy the right is.

Democrats IMMEDIALY "took impeachment off the table" when they got control of congress with an admin that actively lied the country into a war.

Republicans have openly and actively tossed impeachment around since BEFORE this President took office.

These two things are not equal.

As for this country. Too fucking fat and affluent in its lifestyle to actually tune in. So, the fear card works as it always has and republicans live off of it like they always do, democrats have absolutely no message or policy they are putting forward and the sheeple either fall for whatever bullshit the republicans are spewing or brainlessly do the "they are all the same" thing.

[AlinPA]

2. I'm betting on the complete split. We are nearly all the way there now (red states-blue states),

and it is pretty much a north-south result. IMO, states like AL, MS, LA, TN, GA, SC, OK, KS are already split from the rest of the US.

[SoonerLib]

4. yup

... And unfortunately I'm stuck in this Oklahoma hell hole.

[fishwax]

5. welcome, SoonerLib!

I'm no longer there, but I lived in Oklahoma for several years. Check out DU's Oklahoma forum if you get a chance. And Boomer Sooner!

[Cal33]

15. A hearty welcome to DU. You'll enjoy yourself here.

[Fawke Em]

21. You'd be wrong.

Tennessee's four largest cities, for example, have Democratic mayors.

The split is still urban v. rural. It's just that the South and center West have more "rural."

[AlinPA]

24. Yes, and that's why the states that I listed are split politically from the rest of the US.

I live in Pa and see the same kind of thing-the state is controlled by the teabaggers because of the large rural population who vote GOP.(State senate and House are teabagger controlled, teabagger governor, 13/18 US House seats are teabaggers, and one US senator is a teabagger)

[Sunlei]

3. a 2 class system most likely, rich and poor, with the poverty chaos tipping point about 50-60%

Much like central America chaos is today- they have about 60% + in poverty.

Many neighborhoods totally walled with neighborhood associations to make sure local segregation lives on forever.

[savalez]

7. I agree but how

do you explain the poor who vote republican? Is the US RW media that powerful?

[Sunlei]

8. What 'poor' who vote republican?

[savalez]

9. You don't think they do?

Maybe I am misunderstanding you. What do you mean?

[Sunlei]

11. I was asking you, who are "the poor" that vote republican?

the demographics? Baggers, republican-fox-lies viewers and typical southern crackers aren't "the (voting)poor".

[savalez]

12. Surely you are not

implying that every poor person votes for Democrats. That is simply not true.

[Sunlei]

13. I don't know who 'the poor' vote for or if 'the poor' even vote. You implied, how do you know?

[savalez]

14. Why don't you give me your

definition of "poor" and then maybe I can help you out. I mean, I hate to upset you but the United States is comprised of people that fall into economic classes and poor is one of them.

[Cal33]

16. Those who allow themselves to be fooled by the Conservatives, I suppose. There

are millions of those who continue to vote against their own best interests and
the best interests of their children and grandchildren, and of the nation in
general. "Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do."

[savalez]

17. I agree. Here's an interesting

story from 2007 that shows what would happen if only the poor voted. As you can see in the top image Idaho, Montana, North Dakota, Wyoming, South Dakota, Nebraska, Utah, Kansas and Texas would still be red.

http://www.outsidethebeltway.com/economic_class_and_voting_behavior/

[Cal33]

18. Thanks for the interesting maps on "Economic Class & Voting Behavior."

[jambo101]

10. I dont get it..

It amazes me how anyone votes Republican these days as they have done nothing for the last 6 years except vote no on everything the President tries to do, obstruct any way they can and filibuster every vote.All they seem to do is hate everything and everyone who doesnt agree with them.. They make absolutely no effort to improve the lives of Americans and instead just devote their time to meaningless drivel like this attempt at impeaching the duly elected President.
I think Republicans have become delusional and are suffering from a form of collective dementia, at the very least its obvious they have become addicted to the emotion of hate.

[talkguy365]

19. Fringe Elements Are Bad For This Country.

Right or left, let's take the middle back. It's the only way to save our once proud country.

[Manifestor_of_Light]

20. There are many people I can't have a reasoned discussion with about politics. Or religion.

It seems all the right wingers have is name-calling and no facts.

This country is divided and in the South it's still pre-Civil War thinking circa 1860. The legal battles are mostly states versus the Feds; the civil rights movement didn't do much good. Lots of the people I don't talk to hate everybody who is different from them. In other words, if you're not an angry white guy or gal, they hate you. They hate "libruls", atheists, Commies, blacks, browns, "Mezzcans", Catholics, anybody from any other country or is an American citizen but not White Anglo-Saxon Protestant Republican and flag-waving.

I don't engage with political and religious fanatics because they don't listen to facts. They are dogmatic and think they are right, even when their own families don't respect them. They are cesspools of negativity. Some of us refuse to put up with negative know-it-alls.

[Fawke Em]

22. That is just not true!

I live in a city in Tennessee. Our mayor is a Latina and a Democrat.

The other major cities in this state also are ruled by Democrats.

The problem is rural v. urban.

Sigh.

[Manifestor_of_Light]

23. Yes, I know.

I'm in a rural area and that's what I'm talking about.