Political Parties in Dead Lock - How do we break the cycle?

2015-10-01T00:33:50-04:00

With threats of Government Shutdown looming on the horizon, and the constant bashing of policy makers on both sides of the isle, it appears that both of the major political parties are only interested in one thing: Defeating everything that the other side supports, simply because "they" support it, regardless of whether "we" agree with it or not. Why have we allowed it to become so rigidly defined as "Us vs. Them?" Worse yet, why have we allowed ourselves as every day citizens to become so sure of one side or the other, that we "sell out" our own well being to simply push the agenda of one party vs the other, over the good of the people? During many of these discussions, I see people talk about our founding fathers (though not as much on RallyPoint, but the jist is sometimes the same) and how they would roll over in their graves at all kinds of issues from taxes-gun control-planned parenthood-Hilary's emails-**Insert Scandal of the day here...**, but the most important breakdown I see is that isn't much compromise anymore. Both sides are guilty of it, and both sides blame the other as the "real problem." In order to ratify the constitution, our Founding Fathers had to actually compromise to author the greatest document ever written. The one that WE ALL swore an oath to defend, and many have spilled blood for throughout our history. Neither side got everything they wanted through the forging of that document, and both sides, realized that for the greater good, both would have to sacrifice. I'm alarmed by the almost complete polarization that we face today, and how much it has spilled over into mainstream America.

So my questions are:

1. If everybody is busy shouting down "the other side," Who is listening and learning anything that will benefit us?

2. How do we expect anything to ever REALLY get accomplished?

3. How do we fix this mess before it's too late?

Response by SN Greg Wright made Oct 1 at 2015 12:36 AM

2015-10-01T00:36:11-04:00

1. No one is listening.
2. Nothing will really get accomplished.
3. Fixing it requires retooling the 2-party system into something that more closely reflects reality: there are more than 2 kinds of people in America. More than 2 viewpoints.

Response by Capt Seid Waddell made Oct 1 at 2015 12:37 AM

2015-10-01T00:37:55-04:00

Our politics reflects our population. We are a divided nation and our politicians reflect our own attitudes. To fix our country we must first fix ourselves.

Response by Sgt Tom Cunnally made Oct 1 at 2015 12:52 AM

2015-10-01T00:52:00-04:00

New Leadership in both parties....If we ever get rid of Pelosi and Reid you would see changes in the relationships in congress. However before we get too ecstatic we still have Obama the Disrupter in Chief for another 16 months. That is going to mean things will be the same until that glorious day that the Obamas go back to Chicago Illinois......16 months and counting...

Response by Maj William Gambrell made Oct 1 at 2015 12:54 AM

2015-10-01T00:54:15-04:00

A simple start is term limits for congress, getting rid of lobbyist contact with congress and minimizing the awesome automatic pension plans for elected officials in congress.

The bottom line is that our legislative branch of Gov't is our biggest problem.

Response by Cpl James Waycasie made Oct 1 at 2015 2:00 AM

2015-10-01T02:00:53-04:00

To be honest, I think both sides suck and both act like a bunch of babies.

Response by CPT Zachary Brooks made Oct 1 at 2015 5:57 AM

2015-10-01T05:57:20-04:00

How about we outlaw all political parties and have the candidates actually vote by what their constituents have shown to believe instead of by the party?

Response by SSG Gerhard S. made Oct 1 at 2015 7:05 AM

2015-10-01T07:05:39-04:00

Keep them in deadlock... The less they get done, the less they intrude on our freedoms and our bank accounts.

Response by LTC Stephen F. made Oct 1 at 2015 10:35 AM

2015-10-01T10:35:05-04:00

This is a tongue-in-cheek response :-)
When was the last time a duel was fought in the halls of a legislature?
Since you used Dead Lock in the title SSgt Dustin Coy, I think a physical dual - could be water pistols or something else to reduce the seriousness and posturing and remind them they are all human :-)

Response by Lt Col Private RallyPoint Member made Oct 1 at 2015 10:43 AM

2015-10-01T10:43:09-04:00

Easy...stop electing people at the far poles of the party.

Response by CPT Jack Durish made Oct 1 at 2015 7:48 PM

2015-10-01T19:48:53-04:00

To be fair, I don't think that there is a deadlock between the major political parties. The Republicans and the Democrats appear to be very similar. Indeed, the passage of continuing funding legislation including funding for Planned Parenthood despite the popular outcry against it, seems to prove that their agendas are remarkably similar. The real conflict is between two factions, the progressives and the conservatives. The progressives have ample representation in both parties. The conservatives are frustrated because they have minority representation among a narrow field of GOP incumbents, and the GOP leadership is aggressively attacking them at every opportunity. So, where's the deadlock? I don't see it?

Response by SPC Rory J. Mattheisen made Dec 24 at 2015 1:05 AM

2015-12-24T01:05:13-05:00

Ending the possibility of career politicians with term limits in every position.