Why are we so polarized?
My take:
It's because old habits die hard, and "black and white" is hard to give up. More 2 AM thoughts below the fold....
Thinking in black and white is natural. It's so easy to think of the other as evil, so easy to put even a friend in the "other" camp. So easy to be sure we're right! Even with my best intentions, if I feel judged, damned right I will judge he who judges me!
Watching Senator Clinton speak about how she and McCain would bring "a lifetime of experience" to the White House while Senator Obama would bring "a speech from 2002", I was struck by her sincerity. In this case she's so sure she's right that she sold out her fellow Dem to McCain.
Watching us jump to cry "race-baiting" on the "blackened" Obama add, I was struck by how sure many were that this had to be a true charge. So sure that we condemned the innocent.
How's this for black and white thinking: Obama's antiwar stance was a "fairy-tale" because he was gracious at the 04 convention; he must be all "gauzy" with no substance because he inspires; everything Senator Clinton says must of course be "poll-tested"; "the MyDD folks are unthinking Clintonistas"; and I'm an "Obamabot".
I think (and hope) that our polarization and ready judgements are the storm before the calm. We are at a crossroads, ready to move in a direction away from this clash of points of view. Never before have I had such pain from black and white thinking! Or is it that it's only so painful because I finally see it clearly? I'm not sure this polarization is any worse than in the past, except that we are all so painfully aware of it. Many long-time Kossacks are jumping off the cliff from this pain. To me, it is a sign of hope that we'll soon be moving away from this pain toward empathy.
My reasons for supporting Senator Obama are many, but a biggie is his ability to see beyond black and white. Not in terms of skin color, but in terms of seeing the limitations of his point of view, and the validity of the other's. To understand and respect someone's point of view can only occur when we are authentically wearing their shoes. To recognize this empathy gap, and try to bridge it, is more important and substantive than any policy nuance. It will absolutely lead to substantive and creative solutions. If you and I don't personally bridge it, then I guess the pain just hasn't taught us enough yet. But here's hoping we can.