Thread: Across America and D.C., people are fed up with partisanship

Across America and into D.C., people are fed up with partisanship

By Mike Byhoff
Mon Nov 1, 3:26 pm ET

Spending time in the nation's capital so close to Election Day, I noticed many people have grown tired of divisive partisan politics in America. It's a theme that's run through my six-week cross-country road trip with the Yahoo! News Ask America van. Many Americans feel that politicians are spending too much time and effort fighting, and it's counter-intuitive to moving the country forward.

"We need to be able to sit across the table and compromise," said Sandra Lerner, 49, who traveled from Detroit to Washington, D.C., to attend the "Rally to Restore Sanity and/or Fear," hosted by Comedy Central comedians Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert on Saturday. "If we can't be civil and listen to each other, our nation won't be able to continue like it has for the past 200 years."

Sherry Fackler-Berkowitz, 58, feels that extreme partisan rhetoric between politicians has trickled down to the American public.

"It really upsets me to see the hate and anger in the people around us," she said. "To allow politics to divide our country isn't just a bad sign for our political system, but for our society in general."

But if partisanship is a problem, which party is to blame? More than 75,000 responses have come in on that question on Ask America, our informal polling forum, and a clear majority — 60 percent — blamed the Democrats.

"Dems went [too] far too fast and then started FORCING things when we were screaming NO!" Yahoo! user Gator commented.

Click image to see photos from the rally


Reuters/Jim Bourg
Many commenters disagreed and blamed Republicans, but others had a different take.

"Actually, I hold both parties responsible," user Moon-dog wrote.

With so much partisan bickering and Republicans poised to make gains on Tuesday, Ask America voters also think we're headed for gridlock after the next Congress is seated in January. Only 17 percent of responses to a question asking whether the parties can work together say they can.


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Back on the streets of D.C., many people see another source of our divisive political tone: the media.

Joe Coppola, 62, drove from Des Moines, Iowa to attend "Restore Sanity" with his wife, Cyndi. He believes America will never be able to unite as long as cable news exists.

"If reasonable, moderate opinions start attracting ratings and advertisers, then I think we might start listening to each other again," he said. "But until that happens, I see no end in sight."

Keep up with Ask America: Follow our "video ninja" on the Ask America blog and on Twitter: http://twitter.com/askamericavan .

http://news.yahoo.com/s/yblog_askameric ... skamerica/

I'm tired of politicians who put what is best for their party or themselves ahead of what is best for AMERICA.

I'm tired of voters who put their party ahead of our country.

"United we stand. Divided we fall."

quote("We need to be able to sit across the table and compromise," )quote


When the bar is moved so far to the left how does one compromise? Once the left drops the socialist agenda then perhaps we can talk but at this point total grid lock in DC is best for America. Think of it like this you the
American worker are better off if DC closed down for 2011.

Funny how they never say what it is they want to compromise on isn't it?

Politicians and political parties who can't work together for the good of the country really aren't very funny.

Originally Posted by JohnDoe2

Politicians and political parties who can't work together for the good of the country really aren't very funny.

Government does little to help us certainly they cannot produce jobs worthy of any future I fail to see what this administration could "work" on that would benefit Americans.

I want government to do 2 things protect our borders and build roads and simply stay out of our lives.

Joe Coppola, 62, drove from Des Moines, Iowa to attend "Restore Sanity" with his wife, Cyndi. He believes America will never be able to unite as long as cable news exists.

I read that statement to mean "as long as Fox News is on the air." We wouldn't want to present both sides of an argument, as far as this gentleman is concerned.

Good people don't compromise their principles and neither should Americans. One doesn't compromise with socialists. We have swung too far left and we need to return the country to a balance. The party's in power are really no different under the surface. They only care about maintaining their position and power. We ALL need to remember, the federal and state governments are there at OUR behest, not the other way around.