Last night was a double treat for me: I dodged the torturous bedtime ritual and attended a smart debate about politics. (Afterwards, I was so covetous of my freedom that I skipped down 5th Avenue like an escaped convict, unsure of what to do next.) Regular readers of this blog will not be surprised to learn of my interest in the theme of the debate:
As the election season approaches, we take a look at the current political climate. How might bipartisanship find opportunities to blossom? And where do the extremes of both Democrats and Republicans fit?
The three participants were quite articulate and the exchanges were civil. I'll highlight one or two, as well as a few notable soundbites. At one point in the discussion, John Avlon (echoing Jon Stewart's complaint) made some excellent (but obvious) points about America's poisonous political dialogue and why it is self-reinforcing:
The extremes ...
