The Big Zero’s partisans, and his teleprompter itself, have been making the claim for the last two years that his election would represent the beginning of a new, post-partisan era of American politics. I think that the latest Pew Research poll can put that idea safely to bed.
While the partisan divide in the poll is striking, the most important trend identified in this article is the similarity of the numbers of the three baby boomer presidents listed: Clinton, George W. Bush and Obama. This should not be surprising, as all three of these leaders employed an ideological approach to the Presidency early in their administration. However, it does suggest that the idea, promoted by authors like historian Sean Willentz and others, that Obama’s election represents the switch to a new era of politics is overstated. From these numbers, it appears rather that the election of Clinton inaugurated an era of hyper-partisanship, a trend which has been augmented by the rigid political approach of the Bush administration and the reflexive radicalism of the Obama administration.
That Republicans have turned on the Obama administration so rapidly should be no surprise. His administration has repeatedly renounced their principles as obsolete, he has refused to engage their ideas in any meaningful way, and he has declared economic war on all productive members of society with his budget. He has made it abundantly clear in his economic policy that he seeks to destroy economic liberty and replace it with patronage and dependency. He has made it equally clear in foreign policy that he seeks to cede the United State’s superpower status in the hope of appeasing America’s critics. Is it any surprise that this has won him the antipathy of Republicans?
Although Obama promised a post-partisan America during the election, it seems that this is less of a priority to the President than transforming the United States into a homogenized and docile society. In order to accomplish this, it is necessary for Obama to achieve political hegemony by promoting divisions, driving wedges, and spurring jealousy. Post-partisanship, a noble goal placed in the service of an ignoble cause, has been jettisoned.
Some day, likely after the baby boomers have passed (FINALLY) from positions of influence, we will return to a less ideological era of government. Unfortunately, this era will likely not come until American’s are forced to confront the inevitable crises that the Bush and Obama administrations’ irresponsible spending will have provoked. For now, we can only hope that enough of America is left after the partisan era to put our society together again.
