The two parties are still more polarized than ever before and the rise of partisan media is an important reason for it.

One tell-tale sign of a Wingnut: they always confuse partisanship with patriotism.

But in his Farewell Address, George Washington made it clear that he perceived no greater threat to the American experiment than a partisan demagogue who 'agitates the community with ill-founded jealousies and false alarms, kindles the animosity of one part against the other'

When people tap into this politics of resentment, it usually ends ugly.

Right now, politics follows the rules of talk radio - using conflict, tension, fear, and resentment to find new recruits.

First, I think more Americans need to declare their independence from partisan politics on both sides. The more that Americans declare their independence, the more the parties will have to compete for their votes using reason rather than the hateful appeals.

If you only take offense when the president of your party is compared to Hitler, then you're part of the problem.