Bipartisanship is a joke for American politics

I am tired of the way politics are working in America. Every time I turn on any news, specifically about the Senate, I hear of a unified front to stop debate on any issue being brought up by the Democratic Party.

The Republicans in Congress are getting paid to do nothing at the moment. They don't debate, review or offer alternatives. What they do is vote no on everything, while citing ambiguous reasons that seem to change daily. This isn't a problem just in Washington D.C., it is a problem of ideological intolerance everywhere.

Show me a time in U.S. history where the Democratic Party acted as the Republicans do now. Yes, there are times where solid party lines were drawn and held, but on everything. Republicans virtually are voting no on every issue in the Senate, this is mostly the case in the House as well.

There is a deeper issue here that isn't just to blame on the Republican Party. When I disagree with another person's ideology, I usually write them off. That is a hard thing to admit. I think a lot of us do it. We "debate" the other person, but our intention is to win them over, not to find common ground. If we don't win them over, which is usually the case, then we assume they just don't understand. That doesn't mean we think it is OK for them to think the way they do.

We have become too intolerant of each other. Our ideas have become stagnate on both sides of the isle. We no longer work together in any fashion. When we talk about bipartisanship what we truly mean is that we will start talking as extreme as we can, and if you come on board we will start discussing moving to the center of our platform. Not the center politically on the issue. The center of whatever party is in power.

It is a joke when Democrats say they want bipartisanship. What the Democrats in Congress want is to pass bills that are key to the progression of their ideology. If Republicans are willing to join the cause, then it can be watered down slightly for their comfort, but it cannot become moderate or the base of the Democrats remove their support. This is the exact same with Republicans. When  Republicans say their voices aren't being heard by the Democrats in Congress, what they mean is the bills aren't created center right.

 No one wants bipartisanship. What they want is their ideology to be center stage. There is no cooperation that makes either side happy. Sometimes the voters force cooperation. That doesn't mean it is desired by the parties. I wonder how soon it will take people on both extremes to realize most Americans are truly in the middle.

Contact Jay Roudebush at roudebush1@marshall.edu.