Why do Americans seem determined to divide the nation over partisan politics?
830204
because we're stupid. i hate the idea of 2 major political parties. part of divide and conquer ideology.\nsad sad sad
679971
There is a lot of middle ground - they're just not as loud.  There are moderate Republicans and Democrats, as well as a larger number of independents than most people realize.   If there were no middle ground, there would be no swing voters and never any change in power.\n\nBut I do agree that there is a great deal of stubbornness with those who do wholly identify with a party.  The concept that "This person is a Republican, I'm a Republican, they must be right and good!" (also true with Democrats) exists far too often.  It also doesn't help that many people don't really educate themselves to more than a handful of issues and don't bother researching candidates.  As a result, it isn't as much about picking the best candidate as it is about electing someone from your party (and consequently gloating or complaining about it, depending on the winner).  Who cares if they're working for my best interests?  WE WON!!!  Of course, candidates and the media know this and help to push it along, concentrating more on image and hot-button issues than an overall set of policies.  \n\nFinally, the electoral college "winner take all" system lends itself heavily to a 2-party system, meaning there's not much room for the middle ground.  The middle ground is actually usually swallowed up by the 2 parties and labeled as moderates on both sides.  This also means that every issue is divided into an A or B category, and pretty much forces someone to either agree with their party or simply become apathetic towards the issue.
74943
I think it's first important to recognize the fact that they who you refer to as leaders are anything but leaders, they're politicians.\nPoliticians are skilled in the art of divide and conquer. Their entire goal is to get everybody as aggravated and confused as possible that way the people don't know exactly who they're voting for, and then the favor is based off of pure conjecture.\n\nIn my opinion, I think if people are going to be staunchly loyal, regardless of the politicians being right or wrong, then there will automatically be a rift between them and those who see it differently. If everyone agreed and submitted to the same thought process and there weren't divisions, where would we be? We'd probably be in the middle of a first-degree dictatorship right now.\n\nSo being divided as far as having different views isn't inherently bad. It builds intelligence to debate issues...ONLY in the case that those issues are real and would have an impact. Problem is they don't. we keep squabbling over stuff that doesn't matter. Or at least if it has some merit, it's put to the forefront of debate while the issues of much higher importance that should get people moving and shaking get entirely ignored. That's what politicians strive to get us to do.\n\nNow another misconception people have is the fact that seceding from the Union is illegal/treason. It isn't. There is much debate if what Abraham Lincoln was doing was right. He was a good president, but he had no real right to force the union to stay in tact.  There's nothing wrong with doing whatever peaceful means possible to prevent it, but having a war because of it defeats the purpose. It is perfectly legal for any state to secede from the union if they feel that the country is going down the tubes.\nLet's hope and pray and do whatever possible to avoid this situation...but if people are going to be hopelessly brainwashed to their own inevitable demise, it isn't right to expect those who think differently to go down with them. That's the whole purpose of separating from the union.\n\nSo in short, the United States as an idea is a great thing. It means people are united and stick together. They should do whatever possible and make amends to stay united. But if that proves itself useless, then the last resort is to secede from the union. Only when there is no other option.\n\nThere are a few states with some organizations trying to build up the support in order to do this right now. \nI think it's a bit early for that, but I don't blame them in how they think the country is strangling itself.\n\nGod bless America? How about God bless everybody.
282137
Intelligence, honesty, integrity, leadership skills, the ability to bring people together, particularly from different parties and philosophies. I respect people who believe in something and are consistent in their commitment to their stated ideals and principles. We really don't see much of this in American politics these days. Most politicians seem far more concerned with poll numbers and focus groups than with sticking to what they actually believe in. It's singularly depressing.
770949
You should stop seeing America as divided.  There are varying views from every direction.  Try to ask more productive questions.
889796
Now even as we speak, there are those who are preparing to divide us -- the spin masters, the negative ad peddlers who embrace the politics of "anything goes." Well, I say to them tonight, there is not a liberal America and a conservative America -- there is the United States of America. There is not a Black America and a White America and Latino America and Asian America -- there’s the United States of America.\n\nThe pundits, the pundits like to slice-and-dice our country into Red States and Blue States; Red States for Republicans, Blue States for Democrats. But I’ve got news for them, too. We worship an "awesome God" in the Blue States, and we don’t like federal agents poking around in our libraries in the Red States. We coach Little League in the Blue States and yes, we’ve got some gay friends in the Red States. There are patriots who opposed the war in Iraq and there are patriots who supported the war in Iraq. We are one people, all of us pledging allegiance to the stars and stripes, all of us defending the United States of America.
786788
My USA citizen countrymen/women. The USA is a melting pot of many colors and nationalities. I hope all of us would defend each other against outside forces or entities. We should not allow other people to divide us by bringing up issues in the past that they use to stir up past ills. The past is and should remain there, in the past. Issues of today are issues of today. We all had our good and bad pasts, they are over with. Today we should look at each other as AMERICAN compatriots.
814609
Americans have multiple choices in everything from cars to cucumbers. The only place where we have no real choice is in the voting booth. That's because the Republican and Democrat parties have had a corrupt stranglehold on our political system for over 150 years. The 'Republicrats' decide who the candidates will be, and shake things up just enough to make people believe they actually had something to do with it.\nIt's time for new, fresh independent political parties dedicated to the people to destroy the 'Republicrats'. It's time for a second American Revolution.\nAmericans don't vote because they prefer not to vote for the lesser of two evils. 'Republicrats' deliberately make the process difficult, cumbersome and inconvenient because the fewer people that vote gives them a better chance at getting re-elected. The whole system is rigged.         -RKO-
186894
Because republicans control the executive branch, both houses of the legislative branch, and the supreme court.  If democrats controlled it all, they would be for our allies and the republicans would be against our allies.  It's called partisan politics.  It is not about right and wrong.  It is about winning the debate (which the left has been having trouble doing in spite of help and propoganda from "mainstream" media).\n\nBy the way, Chuck, my buddy Bruce whipped your butt in "Return of the Dragon."  heh heh heh........
209915
I agree.  The probablem is that you're asking people to think.  It's too hard for the majority of Americans.  It's much easier to look up what the Republican or Democratic party says about each issue and vote for that.  I've only voted in one election (being 19 years old), and it was just a state election on several bills, but I know I voted for things that were proposed by people I very much disliked because I thought they would do good regardless of the intentions of the people who wrote them.  Even though I consider myself a Democrat (and a liberal one, at that) I'd gladly vote for a Republican if I thought he'd do a better job than the other candidates.\n\nThe thing that really gets to me here on Answers, though, is "liberal bashing."  People take the polarization of the poltical arena to the extreme.  When people vote along party lines that's one thing, but when they take that out of the voting booth and make their day-to-day life a war against the opposing political party it threatens to destroy the very foundations of our democracy.  When elections are determined by a desire to vote against the liberals or against the conservatives rather than genuine consideration of the issues, we risk making some really bad choices.  It sounds too much like the backdrop for a red state, blue state civil war.
969962
I don't think we are as divided as is being said. I think we disagree on certain issues in politics, political leaders and parties. I think that everyone is individuel in their choice of religion and expressions of religious freedom. I think most of us are in agreement of social issues in America. Other issues for me is our own unique experiences in daily living. As a nation and country we do pull together and rise from the ashes together. As Americans we will always disagree but as a united nation, we were never in danger of being divided.
966292
I agree segregate a society and it remains fractured and separated. This only further separates us rather than unites us.  America is supposed to a melting pot in which are differences are celebrated rather than criticized.  As long as people continue to look at our differences rather than our similarities, how are we to be united.
98031
Because they like to use America for their own interest as they have been. It makes me wonder too.
1064601
Because Americans are stubborn.
353643
Democrats want exactly the same things that Republicans do in the long run.  They want a safe, prosperous country that they can feel proud to live in.  \n\nDemocrats feel that there is a different way to get there than the route that the Republicans feel that we must take.  That is all there is to it.\n\nDemocrats are not communists, bent on the government running our lives.  They don't want the terrorists to win, and they don't want open borders so that just anyone who wants can come in and take your job.\n\nRepublicans are not power-crazed megalomaniacs bent on world domination.\n\nThe hate must stop.  Americans are Americans, and there are enough people who don't want us to come together.\n\nThe next time you find yourself saying that Democrats are evil, try to remember that Nancy Pelosi and John Kerry don't want Osama to win either.  The next time you find yourself saying that the President is a liar and incompetent, try to remember that he, Hastert, and Boenher want their children to grow up in a free society too.\n\nLincoln said, "A house divided cannot easily stand".  That is as true today as it was in 1863.  Unless you want us to be a 3rd world joke in 20 years, you've got to stop thinking "Republican vs Democrat" and start thinking about what we all have in common.
684207
Because America wants to encourage fighting for the nation and discourage dangerous things such as drinking and smoking.
1006480
The US is still very bi-partisan, democrats & republicans. Others are starting to emerge, but are still mainly grassroots.