As a life long dem who has been here a long, long time I remember things which most of you are probably not aware of. For instance, do you know that the republicans used to listen to the Democrats and vice versa. There was a time when very little legislation was passed by either party that didn't have the finger prints of the other all over it, that despite real and deeply held policy differences serving there constituents was much more important than playing "gotcha". Each party was aware that the other was peopled by members who possessed intelligence, character, patriotism, and conscience. That in most areas they were close enough to enable compromise to the benefit of the people. It would be easy to pass this off as the maunderings of an old codger opining for "the good old days", but my contemporaries, if there are any left, will confirm. Things weren't perfect by any means. There was the A Bomb, the H Bomb, McCarthy and HUAC, and a very scary USSR, but still, a better, safer and more productive political climate than we have today.
I believe the problem started when Obama was elected president and the Republican party took the posture to delay or totally stop any thing he attempted to do. Those years were when the fuse was light. The bomb blew when trump was elected. The wedge that had started with Obama's Republican Senate completely divided our country with trump. There's a lot of repairing needed and it's going to take a long time.
The problem is that we reached a tipping point 9f sorts some years when the extreme left began to take over the Democratic Party and the Neocons took over the Republican party. And both unified to a certain extent around the notion of screwing the American people pretty much regardless of race creed or color in the name increased political power for Dems and increased profits for Neocons. Then the tea party, and then Trump were the American people saying screw that crap. The bogus accusations of racism and all the rest were the DC establishments response to this plebian revolt against being sold down the river by the jackasses engaged in political malpractice to the detriment of we the people, and justice for all.
I recall 3 "tipping points?". Kennedy vs Nixon when candidate was first marketed like a product. The Dem hit piece on Goldwater "little girl with daisy counting down to mushroom cloud", really hated to see us do that one. Gingrich' contract with america which was promptly broken by all signatories at the first opportunity. I could be wrong or there could be many more.
Well I would say Newt Gingrich sure holds a lot of responsibility! The games he played, the lies he made, and the not following through with 99% of his BS! Same guy who was criticizing Clinton for an affair, while he and other Republicans were doing the same exact thing!
