WaPo Op - "Let’s just say it: The Republicans are the problem."
The current fiscal cliff fiasco that was punctuated by Boehner's failure to get his extremist caucas to even support a right wing fiscal cliff proposal that only mildly impacted folks making more than a million a year should make clear that Republicans are in no position to govern. Yet, the media bends over backwards to "blame both sides," which gives Republicans huge political cover to act even more extreme. In other words, the worse Republicans act, the worse the media says Democrats are, because both sides are too blame!
http://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/lets-just-say-it-the-republicans-are-the-problem/2012/04/27/gIQAxCVUlT_story.html
We have been studying Washington politics and Congress for more than 40 years, and never have we seen them this dysfunctional. In our past writings, we have criticized both parties when we believed it was warranted. Today, however, we have no choice but to acknowledge that the core of the problem lies with the Republican Party.
The GOP has become an insurgent outlier in American politics. It is ideologically extreme; scornful of compromise; unmoved by conventional understanding of facts, evidence and science; and dismissive of the legitimacy of its political opposition.
When one party moves this far from the mainstream, it makes it nearly impossible for the political system to deal constructively with the country’s challenges.
“Both sides do it” or “There is plenty of blame to go around” are the traditional refuges for an American news media intent on proving its lack of bias, while political scientists prefer generality and neutrality when discussing partisan polarization. Many self-styled bipartisan groups, in their search for common ground, propose solutions that move both sides to the center, a strategy that is simply untenable when one side is so far out of reach.
It is clear that the center of gravity in the Republican Party has shifted sharply to the right. Its once-legendary moderate and center-right legislators in the House and the Senate — think Bob Michel, Mickey Edwards, John Danforth, Chuck Hagel — are virtually extinct.
= new reply since forum marked as read
Because that's pretty similar to me!
No family, don't watch much tv, a bit of an info junkie......
And yeah, in certain ways, I've been ahead of the curve too. For example, I sure remember when bewsh was running...campaigning, debating...all that Sh*t....I had a bad bad feeling right away. Did a little simple research on how he was as gov. of Texas and I KNEW.
Sometimes I kind of wish I was an ignoramus, just so it wouldn't be so frustrating!....or maybe ?? 
....nah.....
I remember when Dubya was running for governor actually LAUGHING when I got a load of him - I thought to myself, "Why does a rich stupid asshole like that want to be governor." I will NEVER forget the chill that came over me as I realized, "OMG - THEY ARE GOING TO MAKE HIM PRESIDENT". I was in England when the election occurred - Brits, upon discovering I lived in Texas, would ask me about Bush. I told them all, "HE WILL BE YOUR WORSE NIGHTMARE - ENDLESS WAR AND A CRASHED ECONOMY." Hoo BOY do I nail them. 
And you're stuck in a locked car that's stalled out right on the tracks. 
I was and am in Western NY state. I didn't have anything like you had and I wasn't specific, but when he won the rigged fight I had this deep chill-an actual physical sensation--knowing that there were forces way beyond *my* control that were hurling themselves with abandon straight for the jaws of death....
sometimes it does pay off but mostly it is just depressing 
