The most striking thing to me about political discourse in Amerca is the villification of people who differ ideologically from the speaker's postion. Not only are you right, but everyone else is the enemy of all that is good and holy and or a cretin because they don't agree. The amount of distrust peopIe have for those that disagree is staggering. I can't imagine that rational people differ much from me but I realize that political ideology and religion are a function of upbringing and environment. In fact, I believe one's profession has a large impact on both. I am a republican and I admit the republican party is the party of power and privilege. You are a Republican if you feel you have built something (or will build something) you need to protect. Democrats are crusading to better society by fighting seeming injustice in the world.
What shocks me in religion and politics, is how radical and ill-considered many people's postitions are. Paranoia, and ignance dominate the average persons view of politics, so honestly I disregard most non-professional political discourse. What disturbs, but does not surprise me, is the cynical way people in politics use ignorance and paranoia to advance their postions. I am glad the average person doesn't get much involved, because the average person knows bloody nothing about politics and usually gets cleverly manipulated by powerful people to advance their secret agendas.
In spite of it all, I like the fact that we have an adversarial system. I think centrism is dangerous and unproductive. Relentless centrism in France nearly resulted in the election of a radical bigot. Centrism kills enthusiasm and muddies the political waters. Why does it matter who you vote for when the candidates are both racing to the center, and in effect screaming, "Elect me or my twin in the other pary!" Politics in America is in need of a few radicals to polarize the discussion. By pushing, everybody to the fringes and outraging the populace, radicals make room for a new leader to galvanize and unite the public by coming back to the newly opened center. America is an adversarial system and itis important that the political parties remain adversaries. Agreement simply wouldn't do. America arrives in the middle by allowing each side to push against one another. Hence, the American penchant for electing a house and senate opposed to the president.
The upshot of having an adversarial system that the only people who are involved in politics in anything approaching a knowledgeable or reasonable manner are the people with strong ideologies or interests- the very liberal, the very conservative, the very old, and the very weird. Nobody else beleves strongly enough to care. The solution is to introduce a few radicals into the scene. People will either get very pissed off and vote or develop some crazy ideas of their own and take to the streets to proselytize others. A net gain either way. Gridlock and partisanship is a good thing, believe me!