Comment by andsoitis

5 days ago

My observation is that “both sides” (EDIT: of the electorate) are locked in this dynamic. In the ideal world people are able to evaluate specific ideas, but instead people judge ideas based on who it comes from.

The difference is that the actual output of good policy versus bad policy from the two sides are wildly uneven.

  • I don’t disagree. My point is that there are good ideas from both sides and there are poor ideas from both sides.

    We’d be much better off if we can judge those ideas and sort the bad from good, rather than who they come from.

    • id love to know some of the good ideas from republicans, because for the past like 50 years or so, nearly every one has been a disaster or discriminatory

      3 replies →

Your observation is yours, but it isn't mine and many others.

I grew up in a Dem household but I don't vote dem because my parents did or because I'm a party member (I'm not), it's because the lesser of the two evils is almost always the blue side.

And this was before the GOP literally became a cult. Now it's not even a choice.

  • I concur that ultimately you have to decide which party to vote for (and I happen to vote similarly to you).

    What I am asserting is that it would be better if we were able to judge ideas based on the merit of the idea rather than who it comes from. That is, in my experience, not happening and the electorate for both dem and rep are guilty of this behavior.

    • I absolutely agree with that. But as a vote for a candidate due to an agreeable policy position is also a vote that's likely to vote as a block for everything else, it's not entirely invalid to vote that way (historically).

      But as today's GOP is the Party of Trump™, and they now vote in lockstep, it's a simple "nopes".

      I abhor partisan politics -- Washington warned us against them at the beginning and he was right.

> both sides

There it is... everytime, like clockwork, the false equivalence.

  • The false equivalence you reference, and that I agree exists, is about the politicians actions.

    But I’m talking about the electorate who, in both cases, largely do not seem to evaluate the strength of ideas or policies, but, in many examples I can cite, judge ideas based on who it comes from.