Quote:It is, but I can't figure out why. In 1968 the big issue was the Vietnam War, but what the heck is getting people so pissed off today? What am I missing? The issues today are trivial compared to 1968.

It's the natural evolution of a two-party system afflicted with rampant gerrymandering. As districts get redrawn to essentially ensure victory for one side the only threat an incumbent has to face is from within his own party. That creates a race to the extreme of showing how much you are the opposite of the other party. As a result the overall stance of each side becomes more extreme as well as each side thinking about the other only in stereotypes. If you vote Republican, you are a gun-toting, immigrant hating, truck driving who only watches Fox News. And if you vote Democrat, you are a tree-hugging, rich-people-hating, liberal pinko who only gets his opinions from the Daily Show and Rachel Maddow. As both parties are now at the extreme, it's easier to think of them as less human and more caricature in turn enabling people to set aside their general principles.

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