Underneath The Polarization

Whelp, it’s been three weeks since a post! Oh well, time flies when working full-time during the holidays.

I have been consuming a fair amount of media in the buildup to the 2nd Trump administration. I want to give Axios, Chris Cillizza, Bill O’Reilly and my other sources I mentioned in my November 24th post another shoutout. They have made navigating a polarizing time much easier.

Trump- America’s “main character” according to Michael Kosta of The Daily Show- has had a busy few weeks. I recommend that you watch his interview with Kristen Welker of Meet The Press. It showcases Trump’s duality. He called for bipartisanship and working with Democrats on immigration reform for the Dreamers and others. Later, he said that the January 6th committee members should be “jailed for what they did.”

Not even a week later, ABC News agreed to give Trump’s future presidential library $15 million for anchor George Stephanopoulos misquote about Trump’s conviction in the E. Jean Carroll case. Check out this video by Chris Cillizza for detailed analysis of the settlement. Most likely emboldened by that outcome, today he promised a lawsuit against the Des Moines Register for its inaccurate poll by J. Ann Selzer.

On the Democratic side, Joe Biden gave his son Hunter a blanket pardon on December 1st after repeatedly saying that he wouldn’t, garnering criticism from the Left and the Right. Last Thursday, he issued a further 39 pardons and 1500 commutations. The latter is the most by any president in U.S. history. The Harris campaign still hasn’t accounted for the 1.5 billion it spent in just over 100 days and the Vice President has been most silent since the election, as prominent Democrats like analyst James Carville call for an “audit” of the campaign.

Part of me strongly believes that Americans of all political stripes need to take more time away from each other. When politicians throw around promises of pardons and threats of prison like candy, how can their followers not mimic them? Trump isn’t ready to be conciliatory and his opponents are gearing up for the resistance. Bipartisanship isn’t possible in this climate. Trying to force it would be more damaging than helpful.

My past self, the aspiring statesman, challenges that notion. He argues that logic and dialogue can bridge any gap. It may take time, but it’s worth the effort. Some data backs him up. Despite Americans being polarized, they agree on “most core American values.” 91% of Americans believe in the right to vote, 88% believe in the right to privacy and 84% in the freedom of religion. Political differences account for only “minor variances.”

Underneath it all, we want the same things. At least according to this poll.

Let’s hope we realize it before we destroy each other.