What's crazy is all these guys like each other just like NBA players like each other. They are just playing the game and competing against each other.
GTFO <iframe width="854" height="510" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/vZOCg_Kdvm0?start=140" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
The older school guys like Lindsay Graham like some of the Dems, and vice versa. The Tea Party generation are the ones who can't stand anybody who isn't as ideologically pure as themselves. I read more than one article about it in 2012 I guess it was about the attitude shift. Graham, despite being very hostile to liberal ideas, has publicly talked about Dems he liked, and actually defended Dems in public from personal attacks in front of Tea Party crowds.
Many of them do like each other. Not so much the idiot "tea party" pols, but the actual Republicans that have served with fellow Democrats for many years. It used to be the same way in the Texas legislature. Democrats and Republicans would do battle in House and Senate chambers, and then on weekends, their families might have a BBQ together, or some members from both parties would go on hunting trips together. This used to be pretty common. It's described with a word probably not in your vocabulary. Comity. Comity used to exist before Texas "tea party" fools tossed it into a dumpster in back of the state capitol.
They actually have a tough, unique and identity-driven enough job that, along with all having to live around one another; creates inevitable friendships that don't necessarily align on partisan lines. In the same way that every sitting President (privately) socializes and consults with every living former President, no matter how much they hated or attacked each other during their respective campaigns.
Tip O'Neill and Ronald Reagan were friends, despite disagreeing on most everything politically and attacking each other in the press. "Friends after 5pm, before that it's all politics" or something like that.
Curious as to why you would think they don't like each other. I don't know either personally obviously but both seem to be likable and since they have worked together for many years they have developed personal relationships "outside the office." And since they both seem intelligent and likable I am pretty sure they can leave the "partisan" at the door. Which might be a good lesson for everyone... viewing the other "side" as the "enemy" does not seem like the best approach.
I was talking to Batman Jones the other day about this. Both considered themselves old Irish and there are some stories about them having very heated debates in the Oval Office and then at 5 Reagan would say "Tip it's 5 O'Clock!" They would stop and break out the whiskey, tell jokes and sing Irish songs. Another thing is even though Paul Wellstone was known as a liberal warrior he also was very personable to many people who he didn't agree with. Jason Lewis who was a right wing radio host in Minnesota talked about how friendly Wellstone was to him even though they were diametrically opposed Wellstone.
Unfortunately in modern day conservatism I see a prevailing theme where anyone who doesn't agree with conservative values is declared 'un-American'. When Clinton was in office, I don't recall a push by majority of the Right proclaiming that Clinton 'hates America', but for some reason since Obama was elected, this 'Obama and the liberals are traitors to America' rhetoric has been shouted loudly by a large portion of conservatives today (treeman is a shining example in the D&D). Of course with this new rhetoric that the Right has been espousing, civility and friendship across political lines is at it's rarest today. The old conservatives like Mccain don't share this rhetoric. As much as someone like Mccain disagrees with Obama's polices he would never state Obama 'hates America'. It's hard to be friends with someone you believe to 'hate America' and is a 'terrorist sympathizer'.
Graham is a good dude - one of the few on the right that openly acknowledges climate change is real and not some librul conspiracy.
It started with the build-up to the Iraq War. Let's be fair here, it's not like being awful to political opponents is anything new. Yeah, they may be able to put it aside better in the past and be friends outside of Congress, but it's always been ugly.
While I am sure it is easy to point to criticisms of past Presidents that went below the belt. But it does seems that it went to new low lows with Obama. And not just personal attacks (ie. "Liar" during the SOTU). But his schooling ("went to a Madrassa", transcripts), his family, his church, etc. I know part of this can be attributed to "politics", but as much as I disagreed with Reagan's politics I still respected him as President and admired many of his personal qualities. Hopefully with future Presidents we will get back to that same view...
The difference today is our media. Back during the Reagan years, our media would hold those accountable for "liar" outbursts and wouldn't dare get creative about a president's upbringing for the sake of ratings. We just don't have the same type of journalistic integrity. We are in the age of editorialism. I hope you all have friends that you are in 100% disagreement with politically, but still enjoy their company. Many of our ancestors came to this country because they were on the wrong side of those in power and faced extreme hardships and cruelty. We are and should remain better than that.
Years ago, conservatives were the ones who were for civil discourse and logic while liberals spouted character assassinations. Seems like ever since wingnut radio kooks became popular, it's completely flipped and the worst flamethrowers are right-wingers who accuse others of not loving America as much as they do. It's disgraceful. But give it another 20 years and maybe it changes back.
I certainly do. None of them are "tea party" idiots, though, but rather old school Republicans, Republicans dismayed by the minority within their party that has grabbed control of the leadership. These are Republicans who vote in elections, not the majority of Republicans who don't bother to vote in the primaries. We Democrats have a similar problem, but that problem is getting our people to vote in non-presidential election years in significant numbers, or in presidential election years when we have an awful candidate at the top of the ticket, like Mondale or Dukakis. The primaries aren't really the issue with us that it is with the GOP, where traditional Republicans are running scared of that extremist minority putting up a candidate against them. That's how Patrick became Lt. Governor. Gerrymandering is another big issue. The GOP has it down to a science, but that's another thread.
