You know the Stewart metaphor of the tunnel merge?

[Kurt_and_Hunter]

As an example of how people on the right and left work together every day Jon Stewart chose the merge into the Lincoln tunnel. (Or the Holland tunnel. I'm guessing Lincoln because Jon works in mid-town.)

If you have never gone from Manhattan to New Jersey in one of those tunnels, it's something to see. About twenty lanes of traffic swooping in from every direction end up as two lanes. Each time lanes come together (most) people politely alternate.

Taking those tunnels is not fun. Despite the civilized merge behavior, during the day it's one of the more dehumanizing commuter situations you'll ever meet.

New Yorkers are about the most civil people in America. Manhattan in particular has little to do with general American society. It is its own thing. Put any group of people into that kind of population pressure and they become quite civil... or else. Nothing that happens in Manhattan is a very useful analog of broad America society.

Okay, here's the thing...

We have this problem of intense New York-New Jersey traffic flow going through a couple of tiny tunnels. And look, the people behave in a cooperative fashion to deal with the poor situation.

And this somehow shows that Democrats and Republicans can reach cooperative solutions to our problems...

You know, problems like the lack of tunnel lanes connecting New Jersey and New York.

Funny story...

It seems that some Republican became governor of New Jersey and he just killed a project to better connect New Jersey and New York. A solution, if you will. And everybody said "that's crazy!" but because he thinks he may get to be President someday Governor Christie said, "Fuck all y'all."

Because to be President he has to get the Republican nomination and that requires that he be categorically opposed to solutions.

Any compromise with someone who is categorically opposed to solutions will be something less than a solution.

[JHB]

1. It was the Lincoln Tunnel merge...

Wrong layout for the Holland Tunnel.

[malaise]

2. It was brilliant

Nice post

Rec

[Scuba]

3. It was a brilliant metaphor for the State of the Union. John's entire speech...

...was brilliant.