Supposedly Divided

Or so was the topic on NPR today. Some political theorist from Stanford was talking about how the country isn't actually divided when it comes to issues, that it's the political elites who are divisive. He looked at polling data and it suggested that most Americans are fairly middle of the road on nearly every issue, the war, the economy, education, abortion...but the political activists and lobbies and special interests and ideologues, that is, the politically active population who are deeply divided.

He pointed out that only 7% of Americans watched Farenheit 9/11 and only 8% listen to Rush Limbaugh. The vast majority don't have an interest in either one.

Furthermore, ideologues on both sides push issues to the forefront that don't really concern most Americans. Gay marriage hardly affects anyone. Abortion hardly affects anyone. These are symbolic political positions - all about showing "what side" you are on. Real political issues are the war on terrorism, education, the economy and jobs - these are issues that matter to a vast majority of people because it affects us.

I find this to be utterly true. If you get a group of people together over drinks, they're mostly going to agree on the right way to do things, and at the very least, acknowledge the possibility of another way working...but this is not what the ideologues would have you believe. They would have us believe that their is deep division amoungst Liberals and Conservatives and one way is the right way - and it's their way.