I welcome your perspective as a student of history.
As you clearly discerned, my question was provoked by the absolute dearth of those willing to work with the other Party. Politics has always been venal, corrupt, and partisan. This is nothing new. But there was some cooperation across the aisle when needed, respected leaders in both Parties willing to work with the opposition to get important legislation passed. Now, who does that? Anyone? Who votes for their conscience any more?
Perhaps the pendulum will swing and things will once again work better. We hope. Because what happens if it doesn't?
And not you at all. Because I know how the illegal immigration conversation will go with somer Americans so I wanted to nip it in the bud. Its so amusing as other than myself, every immigrant I know here in Boston (Ukraine, Guatemela, Albania, Russia, and Taiwan) all voted for Trump in 2016 because of the immigration question. Those who came here legally tend to be really anti-illegal immigration and those politicians who support it.
As for parties working across the aisle - I read something interesting once how the past 50 year period was abnormal in American politics and that the visceral hatred for party against party was the norm. Meaning there were liberal Republicans and there were conservative Democrats. And so you had enough people on both sides who would work across the aisle. But as one can see by the fate of Republicans here in the Northeast and Democrats in the Southeast, those days are gone.
I sometimes wonder if the only solution is the rise of a new party that can split voters from the two other parties. Let's call it the New Democratic-Republicans. It's been about two hundred years - time for a resurrection.
