No, It's Not Both Sides

Last week's Pew Research Center poll on American political partisanship is full of very interesting bits, but to me here's the most powerful finding:



The more liberal you are, the more you want compromise in order to reach a win-win situation politically.  The more conservative you are, the less you want to compromise at all, for any reason.

That defines the last 15 years perfectly in American politics, and why we're in the rotten situation we're in now with Republicans happily willing to punish their own constituents, neighbors, and communities rather than reach an accord with Democrats.

And it's why they're doomed, long-term.