Divided We Stand

We need a divided Representative and Executive government, where the Dems hold one branch and the GOP the other. Many people complain that nothing gets done in such a situation, but history says otherwise, says that some of our best bills have been passed in a divided government. The division forces politicians to be more bipartisan. They have to work together to get things done and the public is the winner.

Unfortunately in recent years the American electorate has become more polarized. Both major parties, if not controlled by, are at least very heavily influenced by some of their most extreme members. The moderates seem to be far too absent in powerful positions. I'd love to see John McCain or Colin Powell run in 2008 though because of his age I don't expect that McCain will.

The truth is so often somewhere between the poles. Don't trust extremists. Question everything.

(For a good defense of divided government, check Oct 2004 of the Atlantic Monthly, an article called "Divided We Stand".)