FROM THE "SHAKEDOWN STREET" EDITORIAL BOARD
The spit and venom between Democrats and Republicans is here to stay. For this generation, and possibly even those that follow, we will never experience such palpable hate as we witness now between the two groups.
Stop trying to wave away the obvious, such as when you’re forced to admit that a good friend or member of the family is of opposite beliefs and you can “have a conversation with them without any animosity”.
You know that’s a lie. They know it as well. It’s why both sides make an obvious and often clunky effort to avoid talking politics. Both sides know a verbal conflagration is bubbling beneath the surface and could easily be lit.
Republicans hate Democrats because they see them as weak, bleeding heart haters of everything America, from bar fights to destroying natural resources for personal gain.
Democrats hate Republicans because they see them as authoritarian fascists, who would just as soon step on the rights of those who are not them in race, creed, color or nationality.
That isn’t an opinion. It brutally slaps us in the face every single day, and has for decades.
This didn’t start with Donald Trump. He was only the match. The kindling of hate was gathered generations ago in an America that often fooled itself in being a symbol of freedom and fairness.
So then, with the results of the 2024 Presidential election now in, take all of this into consideration in asking a simple question.
Where do we go from here?
The animosity between Democrats and Republicans has become a defining feature of American politics, perhaps unlike any other time in history. The divide is profound, with both sides entrenched in their beliefs and increasingly viewing each other as ideological enemies rather than as fellow citizens with different perspectives. This polarization, once driven by policy disagreements, has transformed into a deep cultural and moral divide.
Sheer hate.
On the Republican side, particularly among the MAGA wing, the inability to acknowledge any faults or misleading information from leaders like Donald Trump is stark. Trump's era brought forth a level of misinformation and bold claims that his supporters have largely embraced as truth. His assertion that the 2020 election was stolen, despite a lack of supporting evidence and multiple debunking court cases, remains a tenet for many far-right Republicans. This "Big Lie" has become a kind of litmus test within the party, marking those who accept it as loyal and casting skeptics as outcasts. Trump’s insistence on his own version of reality has created an environment where questioning his claims is seen as disloyalty.
Surprisingly, some of those who helped bring Trump and MAGA to power have now decided he wasn’t what they needed. However, don’t think they all turned on Trump for altruistic reasons. They did so in an attempt to break the hold of the radical Right, hoping to bring the GOP back to some level of reasoning that would make it easier to govern, remain in their local power base, and bring the party into a 21st Century without so many violent tendencies.
They did so seeking power and votes.
The allegiance to misinformation goes far beyond Trump alone. The MAGA movement has adopted narratives that ignore or distort facts, from COVID-19 being labeled a "hoax" to dismissing climate change as a myth. The degree to which the party has come to accept these fabrications is unprecedented in modern American history. Never before has one party so systematically embraced misinformation at this scale, with studies showing that a large proportion of right-leaning Americans rely on specific conservative media outlets that repeat these narratives. This selective exposure has fortified Republican beliefs, making it nearly impossible to engage in a discussion where they might acknowledge any factual error or manipulation.
Their comfort food is based in bile, and the rotting red meat of being able to scream how correct they are in everything and how damaging those weak-willed “libtards” are. They bathe in fear and loathing.
Democrats, meanwhile, are entrenched as well, albeit often in reaction to the far-right’s rhetoric. Many Democrats view the Republican base with deep suspicion, having proof that they are willingly supporting a platform grounded in lies and deception. For Democrats, engaging in a meaningful debate seems increasingly futile, given that their opponents often dismiss fundamental facts. Presenting facts to Republicans has proven to be as useless as trying to put out a forest fire with an eye-dropper.
This distrust runs both ways, as Republicans believe that the left represents a threat to traditional American values and is willing to rewrite cultural norms, which they see as undermining their way of life. Each side views itself as defending democracy, freedom, and truth, while viewing the other as actively trying to destroy these ideals.
One side uses facts. Another side employs fallacies. Both are certain they have the way forward for America, and they would rather eat ground glass than bend to accept anything that a rational person would see as obvious.
Water is wet. Sky is blue. Earth is brown. All true, save for when Democrats and Republicans pretend to know what’s best for America.
The resulting vitriol has reached a point where it’s hard to envision a way forward. Republicans who deviate even slightly from party orthodoxy risk being ostracized and losing their fat-cat paycheck. Meanwhile, Democrats face pressure to treat MAGA supporters as beyond reason, which deepens the divide even further. What happened on November 5th, 2024 will only make it worse.
There is no turning back.
With Donald Trump’s victory, Democrats will sell it as validation of their worst fears about America’s direction. They perceive a Trump victory as a mandate for Republicans to pursue policies that are anti-democratic and hostile to civil liberties, leading them to double down on resistance.
If Kamala Harris had won, Trump supporters would have viewed her administration as an illegitimate continuation of the so-called “deep state,” further fueling their disillusionment and anger. In either scenario, the possibility of cooperation was always dim.
So then, where does America go from here?
Bridging this divide may seem impossible given the current climate. We write “may seem” with only a smidgen of faith that things will get better. Some of us already believe the divide is cast, and we are facing at least 4 more years of nation-destroying conflict.
Some suggest that the only way forward is through small-scale, community-based efforts that foster dialogue outside of the national spotlight. Initiatives that bring people together to discuss local issues—housing, education, infrastructure—could provide a platform for cooperation that doesn’t revolve around partisan allegiance.
Where do we find such hope? Even at the ground level, people are warring with each other over intractable arguments where both sides begin with the belief that they hold the only answer, and the other side is little more than hate-carrying mongrels who wish nothing but disaster for an America that was once supposed to be a shining beacon of hope for everyone. That’s everyone, not just those living in gated communities.
Additionally, some believe media reform could help, advocating for fact-based reporting and less reliance on sensationalism, which has fueled much of the division.
Again, is that even reasonable? There are more fact-based media platforms available for review than at any time in American history. Their reporting and even opinion-based columns are easy to review as factual. Conversely, and sadly, too many people are little more than suckers for the biased platforms who spit and spew propaganda and misinformation, all of which is buttressed by those who, again, refuse to consider for a moment they might be wrong.
Ultimately, change will require a willingness from both sides to acknowledge faults and missteps. Both side must admit that in some cases, they are wrong, basing their cries on lies and rhetoric.
Is that even possible? Would you be willing to admit you are wrong when faced with irrefutable evidence?
Republicans must reckon with the degree of misinformation that has permeated their ranks, while Democrats must work to bridge gaps without viewing all conservatives as beyond reason. Without these concessions, the future promises more division, more distrust, and a continued erosion of any shared reality.
Each side has to be smarter, more reasonable, more willing to accept the fact they are part of a nation where not everyone gets everything they want. There has to be compromise, the dirtiest of words in American politics since the Nixon Administration.
The task is monumental, but if Americans can rediscover common ground, they may yet overcome the divisions that currently seem insurmountable. Until then, the nation remains locked in a cycle of mutual animosity, where every election feels like an existential battle and every policy debate becomes a fight for survival.
America presents itself as the “home of the brave”, but looking around at what we are right now, there are more cowards in our midst than we fear to admit.
This America will never reach what it could be, what it should be, without those willing to show the courage necessary to craft a nation for all the people, and those people are open to positive change.
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