re: #352 Dave In Austin

When did shit change from what it was to where we are now? And it wasn’t Obama.

I say Reagan. Just because I do. Thoughts?

I think it started under Reagan, but things really started to go sideways after 1995 and the election of the Newt Gingrich Congress. Pre-Newt, we could always count on the systems and processes of government to somewhat alleviate the worst impulses of politicians and parties.
However, after ‘95, we had one of the two parties in our two-party system not only throw out the whole notion of negotiation and compromise, but enshrine (and revel in) making those “worst impulses” the entire basis of their political “appeal”. Well, that, and pure power.