Politics Makes You Know What

The most troublesome aspect of the unbelievably noisy and endless presidential campaign now going on is that it's noisy and endless. I suspect that part of the blame can be laid at Karl Rove's feet. It was he who created the divide and conquer strategy that now grips our political process. Whereas we once depended on our leaders to bring us together, Rove postulated divisiveness as a way to cement a Republican hold on power for decades to come. It didn't work. The result was that Democrats and Repubicans alike retreated into campaign mode where nothing has to get done. The lame duck president is reduced to background chatter, while politicians on both sides can debate their respective positions forever, and nobody is required to take an action based on a principle.