How Do We Eradicate Partisanship From American Politics?

[SuperDemocrat]

Why can't people be partisan? Give me a good reason as to why that can't be? Give me something that is well thought out and not the normal crap that you spew out.

 

[Disir]

Why can't people be partisan? Give me a good reason as to why that can't be? Give me something that is well thought out and not the normal crap that you spew out.

Aren't you enjoying the ride as it is, then?

 

[Harry Dresden]

Why can't people be partisan? Give me a good reason as to why that can't be? Give me something that is well thought out and not the normal crap that you spew out.

it depends on how partisan you are....if you can only see one point...your parties or yours,and thats it,then you aint helping.....and that is the far right and left....their motto is..."if you dont like what i like,or believe what i believe,than fuck you"......we see it here enough....

 

[buckeye45_73]

It's a known fact that the country has been steadily getting more and more partisan as far as politics are concerned.

Republicans are forever bemoaning that fact w/the meme "such and such is dividing", whenever referring to a Democrat politician of course.

Nevermind that Republicans vowed to not do anything that would benefit President Elect Obama on the night of his swearing in. They obstructed him at every turn, to the point that this has been the most do-nothing Congress since they've been keeping track of their approval rate, with percentages as low as 9% approval.

It's gotten to the point that it doesn't matter what the issue is, everything is seen through purely partisan political lenses, where "your guy" is the devil incarnate, and "my guy" can simply do no wrong. Leaving the American People suffering as the result.

So how do you propose we get rid of partisan politics and get down to the business of The People?

Anyone?

Don't you ever tire with the same Ole shtick
How about passing bills and working with both sides?

How about no ramming legislation or using courts to pass your priorities?

 

[BlackAsCoal]

It's a known fact that the country has been steadily getting more and more partisan as far as politics are concerned.

Republicans are forever bemoaning that fact w/the meme "such and such is dividing", whenever referring to a Democrat politician of course.

Nevermind that Republicans vowed to not do anything that would benefit President Elect Obama on the night of his swearing in. They obstructed him at every turn, to the point that this has been the most do-nothing Congress since they've been keeping track of their approval rate, with percentages as low as 9% approval.

It's gotten to the point that it doesn't matter what the issue is, everything is seen through purely partisan political lenses, where "your guy" is the devil incarnate, and "my guy" can simply do no wrong. Leaving the American People suffering as the result.

So how do you propose we get rid of partisan politics and get down to the business of The People?

Anyone?

Allow more parties to participate in the system.

Without that, nothing changes.

 

[Dont Taz Me Bro]

I've been thinking about this a lot and I really think that it comes down to reducing the number of representatives we have. Partisan politics have largely formed due to the power of groups in Congress...as Congress has gotten larger and larger the power of each individual has weakened while strength in groups has grown to the point where the individual has little to no say (esp in the House). Our first Congress was roughly 15% of the size our current Congress is. This allowed for each individual member to have a much stronger and more powerful voice. If you want to get rid of group think in Congress you have to increase the power of the individuals. However, that comes with obvious downsides if the wrong individuals are elected. It is a trade-off.

What you propose is about the dumbest fucking thing you could do. You want to concentrate all this power into the hands of LESS people?? You want to increase the size of their fiefdoms? The average member of the House represents approximately 700,000 people. How can one person effectively represent that many people? They can't. That's why Washington is so detached from the rest of the country. Have you ever tried getting a meeting with your Congressman? Good luck. It's hard to make time for 700,000 people, but it's easy to meet with lobbyists who are right over on K Street.

What we need is to double, if not triple the size of the House, one member of Congress representing 250,000 is going to be far more responsive to their constituents than one who is representing 700,000 and the power is spread out over many more people as opposed to being concentrated in the hands of an aristocratic few. It's also a lot harder for lobbyists to bribe 1300 members of the House than 435 and in fact, they don't even need to buy 435, just 50% of them plus one. Given the size of this country our Congress should look like the Republican Senate in Star Wars.

They should also spend more time at home and less time in Washington. With all the technology we have today why do they need to have a physical quorum in D.C. in order to hold a vote. Why can't we have a couple thousand representatives voting from their home districts? Wouldn't that make more sense?

New Hampshire is one of the smallest states in the country, yet it has over 400 members of its state legislature who get paid $200 a year and the state is run pretty damn well.

If your plan was adopted laws would take even longer to pass.
Would "the people" have 5 the patience to deal with a much slower system?

Why would it be slower?

 

[oreo]

It's a known fact that the country has been steadily getting more and more partisan as far as politics are concerned.

Republicans are forever bemoaning that fact w/the meme "such and such is dividing", whenever referring to a Democrat politician of course.

Nevermind that Republicans vowed to not do anything that would benefit President Elect Obama on the night of his swearing in. They obstructed him at every turn, to the point that this has been the most do-nothing Congress since they've been keeping track of their approval rate, with percentages as low as 9% approval.

It's gotten to the point that it doesn't matter what the issue is, everything is seen through purely partisan political lenses, where "your guy" is the devil incarnate, and "my guy" can simply do no wrong. Leaving the American People suffering as the result.

So how do you propose we get rid of partisan politics and get down to the business of The People?

Anyone?

Crush the Left & Right wing of both parties, then you'll find bipartisanship.

 

[Alystyr]

I've been thinking about this a lot and I really think that it comes down to reducing the number of representatives we have. Partisan politics have largely formed due to the power of groups in Congress...as Congress has gotten larger and larger the power of each individual has weakened while strength in groups has grown to the point where the individual has little to no say (esp in the House). Our first Congress was roughly 15% of the size our current Congress is. This allowed for each individual member to have a much stronger and more powerful voice. If you want to get rid of group think in Congress you have to increase the power of the individuals. However, that comes with obvious downsides if the wrong individuals are elected. It is a trade-off.

What you propose is about the dumbest fucking thing you could do. You want to concentrate all this power into the hands of LESS people?? You want to increase the size of their fiefdoms? The average member of the House represents approximately 700,000 people. How can one person effectively represent that many people? They can't. That's why Washington is so detached from the rest of the country. Have you ever tried getting a meeting with your Congressman? Good luck. It's hard to make time for 700,000 people, but it's easy to meet with lobbyists who are right over on K Street.

What we need is to double, if not triple the size of the House, one member of Congress representing 250,000 is going to be far more responsive to their constituents than one who is representing 700,000 and the power is spread out over many more people as opposed to being concentrated in the hands of an aristocratic few. It's also a lot harder for lobbyists to bribe 1300 members of the House than 435 and in fact, they don't even need to buy 435, just 50% of them plus one. Given the size of this country our Congress should look like the Republican Senate in Star Wars.

They should also spend more time at home and less time in Washington. With all the technology we have today why do they need to have a physical quorum in D.C. in order to hold a vote. Why can't we have a couple thousand representatives voting from their home districts? Wouldn't that make more sense?

New Hampshire is one of the smallest states in the country, yet it has over 400 members of its state legislature who get paid $200 a year and the state is run pretty damn well.

If your plan was adopted laws would take even longer to pass.
Would "the people" have 5 the patience to deal with a much slower system?

It might not be slower, but even if it was - would that necessarily be a bad thing?
When there are some Bills going through that rival War and Peace in size, there's no way humanly possible for anyone to read them completely - let alone comprehend them - in the time before a vote is taken as it stands now.

 

[Katzndogz]

Partisanship is done and gone. We are two separate people with nothing in common.

 

[Vigilante]

KILL ALL LIBERALS...THEN SEE HOW THE DEMORATS TAKE THE NEWS!

 

[Synthaholic]

How Do We Eradicate Partisanship From American Politics?

• Bring back the Fairness Doctrine
• Re-regulate media companies

 

[Vigilante]

How Do We Eradicate Partisanship From American Politics?

• Bring back the Fairness Doctrine
• Re-regulate media companies

Mine is better and will cut down on CO2!!!!

 

[Manonthestreet]

Perhaps some honesty eh......never mind

 

[OKTexas]

It's a known fact that the country has been steadily getting more and more partisan as far as politics are concerned.

Republicans are forever bemoaning that fact w/the meme "such and such is dividing", whenever referring to a Democrat politician of course.

Nevermind that Republicans vowed to not do anything that would benefit President Elect Obama on the night of his swearing in. They obstructed him at every turn, to the point that this has been the most do-nothing Congress since they've been keeping track of their approval rate, with percentages as low as 9% approval.

It's gotten to the point that it doesn't matter what the issue is, everything is seen through purely partisan political lenses, where "your guy" is the devil incarnate, and "my guy" can simply do no wrong. Leaving the American People suffering as the result.

So how do you propose we get rid of partisan politics and get down to the business of The People?

Anyone?

Lie detector tests for all politicians and political pundits.

Better yet, a law that says any elected official, making a public statement, is considered under oath and subject to perjury charges if they lie or try to mislead.

 

[Katzndogz]

It's a known fact that the country has been steadily getting more and more partisan as far as politics are concerned.

Republicans are forever bemoaning that fact w/the meme "such and such is dividing", whenever referring to a Democrat politician of course.

Nevermind that Republicans vowed to not do anything that would benefit President Elect Obama on the night of his swearing in. They obstructed him at every turn, to the point that this has been the most do-nothing Congress since they've been keeping track of their approval rate, with percentages as low as 9% approval.

It's gotten to the point that it doesn't matter what the issue is, everything is seen through purely partisan political lenses, where "your guy" is the devil incarnate, and "my guy" can simply do no wrong. Leaving the American People suffering as the result.

So how do you propose we get rid of partisan politics and get down to the business of The People?

Anyone?

Lie detector tests for all politicians and political pundits.

Better yet, a law that says any elected official, making a public statement, is considered under oath and subject to perjury charges if they lie or try to mislead.

That won't help. It's the people that are divided.

 

[ChrisL]

Some good ideas, but not enough to prevent the greed that has taken over in our country, everywhere from your neighbor to the government. Sad. No longer do we do things for the good of our community. People only care about themselves.

 

[C_Clayton_Jones]

"How Do We Eradicate Partisanship From American Politics?"

Actually, this isn’t really the issue or the problem.

In fact, this is what the Framers envisioned: vigorous, hard-fought political debate and conflict solely in the context of the private sector, absent interference from government or the courts.

And regardless the political outcome, regardless the vanquished or victor, those who lost knew that at least their rights and protected liberties were safeguarded by the Constitution, its case law, and rule of law.

But no more.

Now the partisan conflict has crossed the line into the realm of our rights and protected liberties – where citizens’ rights are in jeopardy should they lose the political battle, contrary to the intent of the Framers.

For example, a woman should be able to say: “it makes no difference whether Trump or Clinton wins the presidency, because I know whomever wins, my privacy rights will be protected, and if they’re violated by my state, I can seek relief in court.”

But a woman can’t say that with regard to this election, because she knows that if Trump is elected, he’ll populate the Federal courts, and the Supreme Court, with reactionary conservative ideologues hostile to a woman’s right to privacy, where her right to privacy can be violated by the state with impunity, and she’d have no recourse to seek relief.

Again, that’s not what the Framers intended, that’s the extent to which blind partisanism has gotten out of control, to the point where citizens must fear losing the means by which to defend their rights from government overreach and excess.

 

[OKTexas]

It's a known fact that the country has been steadily getting more and more partisan as far as politics are concerned.

Republicans are forever bemoaning that fact w/the meme "such and such is dividing", whenever referring to a Democrat politician of course.

Nevermind that Republicans vowed to not do anything that would benefit President Elect Obama on the night of his swearing in. They obstructed him at every turn, to the point that this has been the most do-nothing Congress since they've been keeping track of their approval rate, with percentages as low as 9% approval.

It's gotten to the point that it doesn't matter what the issue is, everything is seen through purely partisan political lenses, where "your guy" is the devil incarnate, and "my guy" can simply do no wrong. Leaving the American People suffering as the result.

So how do you propose we get rid of partisan politics and get down to the business of The People?

Anyone?

Lie detector tests for all politicians and political pundits.

Better yet, a law that says any elected official, making a public statement, is considered under oath and subject to perjury charges if they lie or try to mislead.

That won't help. It's the people that are divided.

And you think lying ass politicians don't play a large part in that. You'll never get progress as long as sitting president can be declared liar of the year, with no consequences.

 

[ChrisL]

So many things are happening that are just killing us, probably some things we don't even know about.

 

[Mac1958]

It's a known fact that the country has been steadily getting more and more partisan as far as politics are concerned.

Republicans are forever bemoaning that fact w/the meme "such and such is dividing", whenever referring to a Democrat politician of course.

Nevermind that Republicans vowed to not do anything that would benefit President Elect Obama on the night of his swearing in. They obstructed him at every turn, to the point that this has been the most do-nothing Congress since they've been keeping track of their approval rate, with percentages as low as 9% approval.

It's gotten to the point that it doesn't matter what the issue is, everything is seen through purely partisan political lenses, where "your guy" is the devil incarnate, and "my guy" can simply do no wrong. Leaving the American People suffering as the result.

So how do you propose we get rid of partisan politics and get down to the business of The People?

Anyone?

Crush the Left & Right wing of both parties, then you'll find bipartisanship.

The zealots have to be marginalized, or nothing improves and the decay continues.

The problem is, they have most of the energy. They're the loudest. They're the most influential.

And maybe worst of all, their behavior appears to be spreading.
.