Just a quick comment on how politics use to be...

[WCGreen]

Jim Trakis was the chairman of the county republican party when i was the treasurer of the democratic party here in Cuyahoga County. We shared the stage a lot of times discussing issues and bantering back and forth.

We could agree on somethings that were for the good of the people but spared on more partisan issues. At the end of the day, I could call him a Friend. I can't see that happening just ten years removed from that time...

Politics has to be civil, people who don't agree need to find a common ground.

What is going on with people like Sarah Palin, only the newest incarnation of the GOP screecher, today is troubling.

I remember when i was a page in the Ohio House back in the late 70'sand early 80's. The leaders of both parties would meet to try and get to a common ground. There was trading back and forth but stuff was able to get done.

I can't see that happening now.

It's always about blame with out accountability on the way to the situation that requires blame to be leveled...

To me it all started going south with the Willy Horton bullshit and continued with the acerbic tone Newt Gingrich started to use on his nightly CSpan sdreeds...

It seems the GOP turned to winning at all costs and then a scorched earth way of governing.

I don't know. It was great talking with Jim even if for only a moment. He wished me well and asked what he could do...

I can't see the current crop of republicans doing that.

[CaliforniaPeggy]

1. They can't do that.

That would be surrendering or some such clap-trap.

And it's really a shame. We do best when we can come together and help each other.

I don't know where it will lead. It's scary.

[noiretextatique]

2. it's hard to find commmon ground with extremists

especially those who believe they are on a mission with god's blessing.

[T Wolf]

3. One problem is the nature of the issues on which we disagree. How CAN there be a compromise

on human rights, for example?

I agree that the demonization of the other side has poisoned the political well of discourse, but in a lot of instances, it is warranted.

And just maybe, what we saw as "reasoned political debate" in the past was really just a sell-out of the ignorant by two parties that were very similar in their goals of protecting the powerful who really benefit from this society they have set up. The rethugs and Dems are still playing that game today.

For example, in a perfect(able) world of reasonable, rational human beings, there would not even be a debate between those who support marriage equality and those who would deny this basic human right to their fellow humans because there is no rational support for denying rights to anyone. But we have to deal with the handicap of the enemy that is irrational, shallow, greedy and hateful. There is no possibility of compromise with them, unless we are willing to abandon our principles and any hope of achieving the promise of a progressive society.

Just like the financial games that the banksters and Wall Street criminals play, it is all now a zero-sum game. If they win, we lose. It is as simple a that.

And we cannot afford to lose this war because the enemy is fighting very hard, using any and all weapons at their disposal. If we do not fight back as hard, they will win.