When Obama won the 2012 presidential election but lost the popular vote, Conservatives complained about how unfair it was. When Trump won the 2016 presidential election but lost the popular vote, Liberals whined about the injustice of it all.
When Obama was signing Executive Orders, Conservatives screamed "executive overreach!" while Liberals were overjoyed. Now that Trump is doing so, Liberals cry "fascist!" while Conservatives rejoice.
When Bill Clinton had affairs, Conservatives sported how "grossly inappropriate" the behavior was. When news came out about Trump's affairs, Conservatives said, "who cares?"
During the 2013 Government Shutdown, Liberals blamed the uncompromising Republican Congressmen attempting to defund the ACA; Conservatives blamed the president.
During the 2018 Government Shutdown, Conservatives blamed the uncompromising Democratic Congressmen attempting to continue illegal immigration amnesty programs; Liberals blamed the president.
When Congress passed the ACA in 2010 despite the fact that the majority of Americans did not support the act, Conservatives cried for "states rights", but Liberals argued it was "much needed for the country". When the Title II designation of the internet was withdrawn by the FCC in 2017 despite lack of popular support, Liberals cried "tyranny", while Conservatives argued it was "much needed for the economy".
When reporters went after Obama's children, the Liberals shredded them. When reporters went after Trumps's son, the Liberals applauded them.
Do you see a pattern here?
I sure do.
The pattern is this: within both parties, their outrage—or support—is not rooted in a consistent philosophy. It is rooted in support for the actors. If a Democrat does something, Liberals will laud it while Conservatives denounce it; and vice-versa.
As Washington Post reporter Dana Milbank put it: "The common objection to all of these is less about what was done than who did it."
This kind of mentality is absolute lunacy. Not only that, it turns normally free-thinking Americans into sheep. They will support their chosen party or candidate in anything, no matter what.
This mentality is part of human nature. I too have a tendency to want to agree with someone I like, especially if I usually agree with them on other issues. I also have a tendency to want to disagree with someone I don't like. You and I need to be smarter than that. If there is a politician that you agree with every single thing they say or do, you really need to re-examine your own thought-processes. You're probably wrong somewhere.
Overall, I don't like Obama, but there are things he said and did that I agree with, because they matched my morals and philosophical thinking. Overall, I like Ben Shapiro, but there are things he has said and done that I disagree with, because they don't match my morals and philosophies.
Our support for any side of an argument needs to be morals-based. Platforms change, politicians flip-flop, but our morals and their underlying philosophies will not.
Compromising our morals has allowed a great deal of corruption to enter our government. The corrupt didn't bring dishonesty into our government, we did.
America, we are better than this. We need to rise above this silly partisanship. Will there be a party, and individuals, that you tend to agree with (or disagree with) more often than not? Of course! But to side with someone indefinitely, no matter how inconsistent your logic, is childish.
Before attacking the side you disagree with, start by checking the facts. In the case of the shutdown, how many Democrats and how many Republicans voted on the shutdown? What is the process for budget approval in the United States? In this particular shutdown, who put up the roadblocks that preventing a conclusion to this process? Next, consider your own bias and try to determine how much of your bias contributes to crediting or discrediting one side. Next, if you are right, don't be hostile or rude; remember none of us is infallible, and you could be wrong. If it is shown that your fact-checking was incomplete, be honest and admit your mistake—personally when necessary and publicly when appropriate. Digging in your heels and refusing to admit fallibility only perpetuates the problem and does not lead to the open and honest dialogue that this country desperately needs in order to solve our problems.
Let's do better America.
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