The Real Polarization

Maybe–just maybe–the Americans electorate isn’t as polarized as we’ve been led to believe. Maybe the real polarization is between We the People and our elected overlords.

A recent article from Persuasion recited some interesting data

  • 91% of Americans agree that we all have the right to equal protection under the law.

  • 90% of Americans agree that we all have the right to freedom of speech.

  • 84% of Americans agree with freedom of religion for all.

My first (dismissive) thought when reading those numbers was “how many Americans define these terms in the same way? How many of us actually know what the jurisprudence says these principles mean?” The article began by suggesting a different dismissal–an understandable disinclination of respondents to admit that they actually don’t support these foundational principles.

But then…

But the numbers concerning politics are even more troubling: 60% of Americans agree that both Biden and Trump are too goddamned old to be president. 80% of Americans agree that elected officials don’t give a shit what people like them think. 70% of Americans agree that we pathetic ordinary people—i.e., not rich or famous—have too little influence over the decisions scumbag members of Congress make. The same depressing poll reveals that 63% of Americans agree that most or all politicians are whores—that they ran for office just to make money—and a whopping 85% of Americans agree that whatever made them run for office, it sure as shit wasn’t to serve the public.

The article proceeded to document a very real division between what average Americans believe and the beliefs motivating the policy choices of our elected officials.

In a Pew Research poll from May 13, 2024, two-thirds of Americans say abortion should be legal in all or most cases. That would be bad enough, but even more agree that life doesn’t begin at conception, and that moreover embryos should not be considered people with rights…  

Meanwhile, in a recent Gallup poll, 71% of Americans say they don’t give a shit who you marry, i.e., they support same-sex marriage. If we as a nation agree on gay marriage, what’s next? Guns? 

Yes.

A recent public opinion survey from Johns Hopkins Center for Gun Violence Solutions “found broad agreement among Americans for gun violence prevention policies—regardless of their political affiliation or whether or not they own guns.”..In a recent Fox News poll of all places, 87% of Americans agree on the need for background checks, 81% of Americans agree on the need to enforce existing gun laws, and 80% of Americans agree on the need to require mental health checks for people purchasing guns. 

There’s more, but we get the point. The people we elect–especially in states like Indiana–are very definitely not representing the desires or perspectives of their constituents.

So–why, you might ask, are reasonable people, people who aren’t racist, homophobic, misogynistic “Christian” nationalists– electing wacko culture warriors like Jim Banks and Todd Rokita? Why is the Indiana GOP running a ticket headed by MAGA Mike Braun and theocrat Micah Beckwith? These are all candidates wedded to a Christian Nationalist agenda–an agenda that wants to prevent women from exercising autonomy over their own bodies, that insists libraries should be banned from carrying books that portray LGBTQ+ people, that wants laws forbidding medical assistance for trans children…the list goes on.

Those poll numbers that reflect what we might call a lack of appropriate respect (cough, cough) for elected officials (okay, a definitely negative image) are the result of a deeply-disturbing structural issue: gerrymandering.

As I have explained multiple times, partisan redistricting–aka gerrymandering–prevents us from engaging in elections that truly reflect the wishes of the voters. Here in Indiana, where there is no referendum or initiative, we are at the mercy of a legislature that is the only body legally empowered to introduce a nonpartisan method of redistricting.  In other words, we depend upon the people who benefit from the current system to change it. (Yeah, good luck with that…)

If democracy means anything, it should mean that We the People are able to select/elect representatives who actually represent us. Clearly, that is not the world we currently inhabit.

In Indiana–and other states that have similarly distorted systems –the only elections that reflect the will of We the People are those that cannot be gerrymandered. The votes for statewide races for Governor, Lieutenant Governor, Senator and Attorney General (and of course, votes for the national ticket) will be the only votes that truly reflect Hoosier sentiment. 

Those of us in states like Indiana need to send a message to our legislative overlords by voting overwhelming BLUE for those positions in November. (Perhaps they’ll notice, although I’m not holding my breath.)

29 Comments

  1. It’s really on us, we the people who must remember: “You gotta fight for your right to party!” (Credit the Beastie Boys.) Too many people just gave up.

  2. I haven’t studied any data thoroughly enough to back up this impression, but what info I have seen suggests that Republican gerrymandering is intended to exclude people while Democratic gerrymandering is intended to include people.

  3. Another explanation for the gap between support for socially progressive ideas and voting results is that often those holding socially progressive ideas also think that the Republican party, no matter who the candidate, protects their wealth or enables them to attain more wealth. Unfortunately, given these two conflicting priorities, the quest for money wins.

  4. It probably started before Citizens United v. FEC, but that egregious Republican-led SCOTUS decision codified corruption in our political system. Greedy politicians? What else would we expect under this cash free-for-all given to big money interests? OF COURSE thinking people don’t trust those they elect to office. How many politicians have we see campaign on “X”, then vote against it once in office?

    Nothing will change until there is a rebirth of morality in government brought about by the overturning of Citizens United and the complete funding of elections via our taxes. Corporate/private money should never get anywhere near our political environment.

  5. I have been finding myself quoting a lot of scripture lately, even though I have not been a practicing Christian for decades. The one that comes to mind, regarding SCOTUS and our own World’s Worst Legislature, is “You know a tree by the fruit it bears”. Bitter fruit indeed.

  6. One step which would help is moving to an open primary with the top 2 candidates, regardless of party, on the November ballot. More voters would participate in the primary and it would likely cause candidates to move away from extreme positions as a means of appealing to a broader base of voters.

  7. I spent much of yesterday with two friends I have been working on to register and to vote; stressing to vote for their choice whomever it might be. Yesterday I told them I wasn’t going to push them to register or to vote but that I do suspect they are “closet Republicans” which got a big laugh. Our following conversations were surprising; since our last visit they have been paying close attention to what is going on within and related to current government and the frightening future we could be facing. Maybe just being patient, choosing our words carefully and if that doesn’t work, making a joke of it might bring them around.

    In the words of W.C. Fields; “If you can’t dazzle them with brilliance, baffle them with bullshit.” He has two other quotes which fit Trump and MAGAs relentless pursuit of a Dictatorship over democracy; “I am free of all prejudice, I hate everyone equally.” and ” A thing worth having is worth cheating for.”

    Not connected to anything political, but he also said; “I don’t drink water; fish fuck in it.” Just an attempt at a joke I referred to earlier.

    “If democracy means anything, it should mean that We the People are able to select/elect representatives who actually represent us. Clearly, that is not the world we currently inhabit.” Hmm; maybe it is something in the water!

  8. It is a conspiracy by media corporations to monetize anti-sentiment by growing it. It’s been underway for most of my life and is growing slowly and steadily. Donald Trump and his minions are the most severe symptoms of the success of it.

  9. I agree with previous comments that, more than gerrymandering, the problem is too much money in politics. As we saw with the 2024 Republican primaries here in central Indiana, the money is used for vicious attack ads designed to inflame passions, rather than inform voters. Elected officials know that any action they might take to actually serve the people may be used in an attack ad against them in the next election. It also may displease their Big Money funders, who threaten to withhold campaign contributions unless the politician supports the funders’ choice of [pro-plutocrat] policy.

  10. JoAnn,

    WC Fields, lol, nailed it!

    Why do you think there’s such an effort to divide the public. And why such an effort keep the poor, poor or, the ignorant ignorant?

    Has JoAnn points out, so they can be WC Fields’d! And they are so busy trying to figure out which way is up, they are drowning in that sea of BS. They’re too worried about how to eat, or shelter, or staying healthy, or maybe even education?

    When you have all of those concerns, you’re a little too preoccupied to pay close attention to what’s happening or even try to do anything about it. In other words, when you’re getting the crap beat out of you, it’s hard to be hopeful! They’re looking for a forested panacea, but all those pesky trees are in the way. Cuz it’s not really there.

    “Look out: perhaps there may be someone who will carry you off as his prey through the philosophy and empty deception according to the tradition of men, according to the elementary things of the world and not according to Christ.” (Colossians 2:8)

    “They are in darkness mentally and alienated from the life that belongs to God, because of the ignorance that is in them, because of the insensitivity of their hearts.”
    (Ephesians 4:18)

    “And by his cunning he will use deception to succeed; and in his heart he will exalt himself; and during a time of security he will bring many to ruin—–”
    (Daniel 8:25)

  11. Why should we be surprised by the failure of “morality” in the political sphere? It is just a mirrored reflection of our culture of crude, lewd, nude, uncaring, screaming, speeding, getting high on everything, worshiping celebrities, etc. Look at all the “four letter words” above this comment. FREEDOM FOR ME TO DO WHATEVER I WANT! Voting is too communal….

  12. The influential foreign lobbying group AIPAC has effectively marked for electoral defeat many incumbent U.S. representatives.

    Henry Kissinger, in 2012, said that Israel will be gone in 10 years. His prediction is two years overdue, but Israel in 2024 may be speeding toward its destruction.

    If Israel does, indeed, collapse, will AIPAC continue to have a reason for continued existence?

  13. John Sorg;
    What I heard growing up was “When you are up to your ass in alligators, its hard to remember that you are supposed to be draining the swamp!”

  14. Banks, Beckwith, Braun, Rokita, Trump, and Vance are all alligators. We need to get rid of them so that we can get on with draining the rest of the swamp

  15. I imagine pollsters make many evidence based decisions on behalf of their client(s) how and when a poll is caste toward ‘randomly’ selected target audiences. Do you believe results would be the same if the same poll caste on a pessimistic Monday versus TGIF?

    Today’s conversation took interesting turns. Joanne, I have drank water from the same lake for 68 years. The lake is considered among the most fertile for lake trout in all Ontario. It is by far the best tasting water of any place I have ever lived. I am more likely tainted by per capita human bio gas emission while breathing air inside a COSTCO.

    Gordon, your turn of the discussion all of a sudden to the predicted collapse of Israel and subsequent fall of AIPAC is well taken. Lived and worked in Israel. Israel is a country without a constitution. It is as much an idea as it is a nation. AIPAC will thrive as long as Israel is an idea that appeals to the Jewish People. Jerusalem is a city more than 5,000 years old. Jewish power over time, comes and goes, and eventually returns. You need proof? Take a poll. 😇

  16. Lester. You seem to think that things that offend you are immoral, even if they do you no harm, as in conflating using four letter words, screaming, and worshiping celebrities (harmless) with speeding (truly dangerous and therefore illegal). Either you do not understand what civil liberties means or you are so arrogant you think your own personal “morality” should be the standard required of everyone else. Seems to me you fit right in with those “Christian” Nationalists.

  17. If Democrats win the non-gerrymandered offices in the election the Republicans will definitely notice, but their reactions will be to double down on gerrymandering wherever they can and intensify their lies on right wing media sources. They will claim the elections were rigged. The republican party communications team has probably already crafted an assortment of lies the losers can use.

  18. Sharon,

    “Morality” is in the “soul of the beholder”. Thus, our culture and politics today as humans evolve/devolve. You got your morality; I got mine. Happy with mine; enjoy yours….IGIO

  19. Israel may fall, in effect, because of Bibi, and the U.S.my fall because of gerrymandering and big money.
    I’m in Florididia, and I know that my 3 federal politicians do not give a damn for what I, or others like me, think. One senator is useless protoplasm, and the other is a dirtbag, while my rep. just plays the party line, and the best thing I can say about him is that he is not, apparently, MAGA

  20. Gordon called AIPAC a “foreign lobby” – not exactly. AIPAC is comprised of American donations to benefit Israel. While you’d expect mainly American Jews to donate to the PAC, anyone can donate. It’s a great investment, considering they spend tens of millions on US politicians, and Israel gets hundreds of billions in taxpayer funds in return. 😉

    As most of us understand on the blog, our democracy is flawed and failing. The three main culprits are gerrymandering, electoral college, and corruption (money in politics). However, if you rely on our mainstream media, they won’t mention money in politics because of Citizens United’s decision. They will tell us it’s the Senate or Judges.

    Again, we are an oligarchy, and the political class is there to ensure the oligarchs pay less and less in taxes and remove regulations to the bare minimum. When possible, their politicians abundantly spread our taxes to the oligarchs in hopes that the spending will “trickle down” to the middle and lower classes. As we’ve witnessed for the past forty years, that theory is a fraud. The reality is that the rich have gotten incredibly rich while the middle class imploded and the lower classes struggle to survive.

    Despite all of this, none of the two political parties propose a solution. If Sheila’s statistics are correct, if the Democratic Party wants to win in a landslide, it should run on overturning Citizens United, publicly financing elections, eliminating gerrymandering, proposing a constitutional amendment for the electoral college, making bribing officials illegal, and tossing in healthcare for all.

    They won’t do it because Wall Street owns the Democrats while billionaires and wealthy corporations own the Republicans.

  21. Agree with the assessment that Citizens United opened the floodgates for “Dark Money” and all the crap that goes with it. Gerrymandering is just one of the many tools the Dark Money holders use to get what they want.
    “You cannot serve God and mammon.” I perceive “God” to be the higher self that serves others and works for the common good, as well as the Laws of Nature. The majority of our politicians are certainly serving mammon. Mega churches and cults are run by con men, like Trump, and their followers are too blind to see the light. (BTW – I would include Catholicism in the cult category. I am an ex-cult member.)

  22. Lester. So what, exactly do you mean by “Voting is too communal”? The phrase suggests that voting should be more restricted. Is that not what you meant?

  23. The authoritarian methods being used to control our State are anti-democratic. Gerrymandering promotes taxation without representation. Having no effective civil recourse against those methods besides class action suits, which Maga heads have tried to do away with shows what direction our State is headed. Some structure is needed but it has to be fair and Maga isn’t operating fairly.

  24. Sharon – by that I meant that voting is a responsibility to the greater community (our democracy, our country). The data on age differences in voting tells you all you need to know about the direction of our country/society.

  25. Lester. Wow! So the future direction of our country can be predicted by one simple statistic. Guess we can all stop looking for answers since we now know all we need to know about that issue. NOT!!!!

  26. Lester,
    You are absolutely correct. With humanity, there should be some sort of commonality! Unfortunately, there’s divisions everywhere. From religion to ethnicity to Creed to Color to gender! Individuals who are raised with others outside of their genetic makeup, tend to be quite liberal-minded towards those individuals. When we are told to love our neighbor, our neighbor isn’t exactly like us, our neighbor is a confluence of the entirety of humanity.

    Even scripture talks about the conscience. In Romans 2:14, 15 we read: “For whenever people of the nations that do not have law do by nature the things of the law, these people, although not having law, are a law to themselves. They are the very ones who demonstrate the matter of the law to be written in their hearts, while their conscience is bearing witness with them and, between their own thoughts, they are being accused or even excused.”

    Howard Cosell voiced concern when discussing the problem of drug abuse by athletes. He said: “There is no definable moral center in America anymore and that is a problem for the entire culture.”

    Justice Francis T. Murphy of the Appellate court says that modern man “does not know the ultimate meaning of his life and doubts that life has any meaning. Whatever his moral pretensions may be, he has in fact driven God out of his life, out of his office, out of his home. He therefore lacks a moral center.”

    Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn said that if asked to identify in a few words the principal trait of the 20th century, he would say: “Men have forgotten God.” He continued: “The entire twentieth century is being sucked into the vortex of atheism and self-destruction. . . . All attempts to find a way out of the plight of today’s world are fruitless unless we redirect our consciousness, in repentance, to the Creator of all: without this, no exit will be illumined, and we shall seek it in vain.”

    There’s hundreds and hundreds of others that express similar opinions, all well known, and all saying the same thing. Morality is not a thing for every individual, every individual is not entitled to their own morality. Morality is a lifestyle, of course everyone’s entitled to live a moral life or not, and that speaks volumes for the individuals. Rude, crude, lewd, and nude! That’s pretty good Lester.

  27. Unfortunately, the old Allan Sherman lyric “.. traded their used MG for a new XKE, switched to the GOP, that’s the way things go…” was only partly true. As Nancy C pointed out, too many poor people think that the GOP will make THEM rich as well.

    Distrusting politicians is very old hat. Of course, Saint Ronald the Adulterer, raised it to an article of faith.

    How they ask the questions also matter. For many years people would say that “other” Representatives engage in “Pork Barrel politics”, but their Representative “Brings home the bacon”. They distrusted politicians, except their own. As I keep pointing out, “term limits” was designed in California because everyone hated Willy Brown, except the people in his district.

    Another example of wording, people were pro-death penalty until they were offered a choice of “life without parole”. They all “knew” that killers got out quickly for “good behavior”.

    Still I have long believed that most Americans support “liberal/progressive” policies, they just have been trained to hate the labels. The “Right” has been labeling any opposition as “communist”, “socialist”, or “ungodly” for ages. Lately, that is all that they have left to say.

    I have a bit more hope now. Harris, Tim “they are just weird” Walz, and our state-wide Democratic candidates seem to have a handle on how to explain things. They don’t back down and they don’t talk down; they just tell it like it is (to use an old phrase). If we keep working and vote, there may be some pleasant (to most readers of Sheila’s blog) surprises come November.

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