A Deeply Fractured US

[Journeyman]

While saying someone 'has the IQ of a crayon' is generally an insult, in an emergency situation, a crayon can be burned like a candle for 30 minutes.... thus having more use than Fox in general, and Tucker Carlson in particular.

 

[Kirkhill]

https://www.realclearpolitics.com/video/2023/01/31/lindsey_graham_there_are_no_trump_policies_without_trump_i_dont_think_you_can_do_what_he_did.html

 

[dimsum]

This is the same guy who said “if we nominate Trump, we will get destroyed…and we will deserve it” in 2016.

 

[RangerRay]

He also said he was “off the Trump train” after January 6, 2021. Until some random people yelled mean things at him in an airport.

 

[Kirkhill]

I don't think a Canadian survey's findings would be much different.

Ninety-two percent of Democrats agree that “all students should learn about how the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution advanced freedom and equality.” Eighty-seven percent of Democrats say that “George Washington and Abraham Lincoln should be admired for their roles in American history.” Meanwhile, 93 percent of Republicans acknowledge that “Americans have a responsibility to learn from our past and fix our mistakes,” and 91 percent agree that “throughout our history, Americans have made incredible achievements and ugly errors.”

On the whole, according to the report, “Americans of all political orientations want their children to learn a history that celebrates our strengths and also examines our failures.”

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What the Culture Wars Get Wrong​

When it comes to teaching U.S. history, a new survey finds that Americans agree on much more than they think.

Hans Zeiger
31 Jan 2023, 10:59 am
https://twitter.com/share?text=What...com/articles/what-the-culture-wars-get-wrong/
America is hopelessly divided—or so we are told. More than twenty-five years ago, political theorist Jean Bethke Elshtain wrote in her book Democracy on Trial that we have been bombarded by “a cascading series of manifestos that tell us we cannot live together; we cannot work together; we are not in this together.” If these messages came by way of manifestos in the 1990s, today they are coming through social media blasts. Voices on all sides tell us that we live in an age of “polarization,” and that we have little left in common.

A recent survey by More in Common, a national nonprofit working to reduce polarization, finds that there is more to the story, however—that there is a “perception gap” among Americans about each other. By wide margins, Democrats tend to underestimate Republicans’ support for education about the country’s past mistakes and about minority groups’ contributions to American life. Similarly, and also by wide margins, Republicans tend to underestimate Democrats’ support for teaching about America’s record of achievement and its foundational ideas and documents.


In fact, More in Common found remarkable commonality among Americans across political differences, race, and other demographic categories. Ninety-two percent of Democrats agree that “all students should learn about how the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution advanced freedom and equality.” Eighty-seven percent of Democrats say that “George Washington and Abraham Lincoln should be admired for their roles in American history.” Meanwhile, 93 percent of Republicans acknowledge that “Americans have a responsibility to learn from our past and fix our mistakes,” and 91 percent agree that “throughout our history, Americans have made incredible achievements and ugly errors.”

On the whole, according to the report, “Americans of all political orientations want their children to learn a history that celebrates our strengths and also examines our failures.”

It turns out that the vast majority of Americans are willing to acknowledge the tragedies and evils of our history, even as we recognize and celebrate our national achievements and ideals.

Why the sense that common ground is beyond our reach, then? Why the “history wars” that have raised tensions in school board meetings, legislative hearings, and cable news shows? According to the More in Common report, “rife with misrepresentations and falsehoods, these history wars are fueled by conflict entrepreneurs—political and media actors who stoke polarization by finding examples of ideologies outside the mainstream and portraying them as representative of a mass movement.” The More in Common findings suggest that we can engage in serious debate about the best ways to teach history and civics without buying into the worst of the social media and political fundraising narratives—and without questioning one another’s patriotic commitments.

The More in Common survey was complemented by a recent poll of parents sponsored by the Jack Miller Center (the organization that I lead) and conducted by RealClear Opinion Research, in partnership with the Trafalgar Group. The poll found that 89 percent of parents—including strong majorities of Democrats, Republicans, and Independents—rate an education about the Declaration of Independence, the U.S. Constitution, and the responsibilities of citizenship as “very important.” Among those surveyed, 89.4 percent of Black parents and 84.7 percent of Hispanic parents identified this kind of education as “very important.” When it comes to American civics, there is overwhelming consensus among parents: The basic ideas and documents of America are worth passing along to the next generation.

In addition, more than 92 percent of parents agreed with the statement that public schools should “portray historical figures honestly with the understanding that we can teach a person's achievements even if their views do not align with values today,” while only 7.5 percent agreed that “if the views of historical figures do not align with values today, we should minimize or avoid teaching about their historical achievements.” As in the More in Common survey, the Jack Miller Center poll shows remarkable common ground among American parents about the best way to teach American history.

Could it be that we are less divided as a country than we think we are? If Americans are overwhelmingly in agreement about the kind of civic and historical knowledge that deserves to be taught in our schools, we should take note. Not only does this cut against the prevailing narratives, but it suggests that for all of our political differences, we can still agree on the fundamentals of citizenship. And in a constitutional democracy where we must find a way forward together, such a consensus about our national underpinnings makes a world of difference.

Hans Zeiger is president of the Jack Miller Center, a nationwide network of political scholars, historians, and civics teachers committed to the teaching of the American political tradition.

 

[Kat Stevens]

I don't think a Canadian survey's findings would be much different.

​

​

​

​

What the Culture Wars Get Wrong​

When it comes to teaching U.S. history, a new survey finds that Americans agree on much more than they think.

Hans Zeiger
31 Jan 2023, 10:59 am
https://twitter.com/share?text=What the Culture Wars Get Wrong&url=https://www.americanpurpose.com/articles/what-the-culture-wars-get-wrong/
America is hopelessly divided—or so we are told. More than twenty-five years ago, political theorist Jean Bethke Elshtain wrote in her book Democracy on Trial that we have been bombarded by “a cascading series of manifestos that tell us we cannot live together; we cannot work together; we are not in this together.” If these messages came by way of manifestos in the 1990s, today they are coming through social media blasts. Voices on all sides tell us that we live in an age of “polarization,” and that we have little left in common.

A recent survey by More in Common, a national nonprofit working to reduce polarization, finds that there is more to the story, however—that there is a “perception gap” among Americans about each other. By wide margins, Democrats tend to underestimate Republicans’ support for education about the country’s past mistakes and about minority groups’ contributions to American life. Similarly, and also by wide margins, Republicans tend to underestimate Democrats’ support for teaching about America’s record of achievement and its foundational ideas and documents.


In fact, More in Common found remarkable commonality among Americans across political differences, race, and other demographic categories. Ninety-two percent of Democrats agree that “all students should learn about how the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution advanced freedom and equality.” Eighty-seven percent of Democrats say that “George Washington and Abraham Lincoln should be admired for their roles in American history.” Meanwhile, 93 percent of Republicans acknowledge that “Americans have a responsibility to learn from our past and fix our mistakes,” and 91 percent agree that “throughout our history, Americans have made incredible achievements and ugly errors.”

On the whole, according to the report, “Americans of all political orientations want their children to learn a history that celebrates our strengths and also examines our failures.”

It turns out that the vast majority of Americans are willing to acknowledge the tragedies and evils of our history, even as we recognize and celebrate our national achievements and ideals.

Why the sense that common ground is beyond our reach, then? Why the “history wars” that have raised tensions in school board meetings, legislative hearings, and cable news shows? According to the More in Common report, “rife with misrepresentations and falsehoods, these history wars are fueled by conflict entrepreneurs—political and media actors who stoke polarization by finding examples of ideologies outside the mainstream and portraying them as representative of a mass movement.” The More in Common findings suggest that we can engage in serious debate about the best ways to teach history and civics without buying into the worst of the social media and political fundraising narratives—and without questioning one another’s patriotic commitments.

The More in Common survey was complemented by a recent poll of parents sponsored by the Jack Miller Center (the organization that I lead) and conducted by RealClear Opinion Research, in partnership with the Trafalgar Group. The poll found that 89 percent of parents—including strong majorities of Democrats, Republicans, and Independents—rate an education about the Declaration of Independence, the U.S. Constitution, and the responsibilities of citizenship as “very important.” Among those surveyed, 89.4 percent of Black parents and 84.7 percent of Hispanic parents identified this kind of education as “very important.” When it comes to American civics, there is overwhelming consensus among parents: The basic ideas and documents of America are worth passing along to the next generation.

In addition, more than 92 percent of parents agreed with the statement that public schools should “portray historical figures honestly with the understanding that we can teach a person's achievements even if their views do not align with values today,” while only 7.5 percent agreed that “if the views of historical figures do not align with values today, we should minimize or avoid teaching about their historical achievements.” As in the More in Common survey, the Jack Miller Center poll shows remarkable common ground among American parents about the best way to teach American history.

Could it be that we are less divided as a country than we think we are? If Americans are overwhelmingly in agreement about the kind of civic and historical knowledge that deserves to be taught in our schools, we should take note. Not only does this cut against the prevailing narratives, but it suggests that for all of our political differences, we can still agree on the fundamentals of citizenship. And in a constitutional democracy where we must find a way forward together, such a consensus about our national underpinnings makes a world of difference.

Hans Zeiger is president of the Jack Miller Center, a nationwide network of political scholars, historians, and civics teachers committed to the teaching of the American political tradition.

Unfortunately it's the noisy minority on both flanks that garner all the newspaper ink, bandwidth, and air time. Nobody wants to hear what reasonable people have to say.

 

[Kirkhill]

Unfortunately it's the noisy minority on both flanks that garner all the newspaper ink, bandwidth, and air time. Nobody wants to hear what reasonable people have to say.

So we just have to keep saying it. And let others know they are not alone.

 

[OldSolduer]

While saying someone 'has the IQ of a crayon' is generally an insult, in an emergency situation, a crayon can be burned like a candle for 30 minutes.... thus having more use than Fox in general, and Tucker Carlson in particular.

Did someone say "Crayons" ? Are they red?

 

[Navy_Pete]

It was funny to see Bernie Sanders on Fox talking to audiences. He had a lot of broad agreement on things (should you lose your house because you got sick? Should you die because you can't afford insulin? etc).

Lot of things are supported by the majority, which makes the ridiculous divisions so stupid.

 

[Kirkhill]

It was funny to see Bernie Sanders on Fox talking to audiences. He had a lot of broad agreement on things (should you lose your house because you got sick? Should you die because you can't afford insulin? etc).

Lot of things are supported by the majority, which makes the ridiculous divisions so stupid.

I seem to recall that a lot of Bernie fans did one of two things after the Hilary Coup in the Democrats.

1 They walked away from the party
2 Some that walked away turned to the Trump.

The Blue Rust Belt turned Red.

As the man said - it is necessary to promote narratives of division in order to get out the fanatics and drum up the cash.

 

[Kirkhill]

Voters continue to prioritize the economy and inflation as their top issue priorities, yet only one-quarter rate the current state of the economy as “excellent” or “good,” and 71 percent believe inflation has worsened over the past year, despite the Federal Reserve imposing historic interest rate hikes. Yet, ironically, those same rate hikes may bring about the recession that 85 percent of voters are concerned the U.S. will enter in the next year.

America’s distrust of Washington is a five-alarm political crisis

While Democrats are viewed as inept and ineffective, Republicans are seen as extreme and self-interested.

thehill.com

As a consumer I find it difficult to discern the difference between a higher cost of goods and a higher cost of money. Either way there is a lot less steak being eaten.

 

[Kirkhill]

Voting with their U-Hauls.
http://www.thehill.com/
http://www.thehill.com/
http://www.thehill.com/
http://www.thehill.com/

The new red wave is already here​

Opinion by Joe Concha, Opinion Contributor

Call it a roaring red wave of the 2020s. And this time, it’s actually materialized, unlike during the red wave that was predicted for the 2022 midterm elections.


The new red wave is already here© Provided by The Hill

Recent U.S. Census data underscore a grim reality for the biggest blue states: More people are leaving states such as California, New York and Illinois than moving to them.
The exodus is real: California lost nearly 350,000 residents in 2022, while New York lost about 300,000 and Illinois saw more than 140,000 go elsewhere, per Census numbers. Other states, including New Jersey (-64,231), Massachusetts (-57,292) and Pennsylvania (-39,957), also saw large numbers of residents say goodbye.
But other states, such as Florida and Texas, saw large gains in population, with Florida adding an eye-popping 444,484 residents and Texas adding 470,708. Other population winners include North Carolina (99,796 residents added), South Carolina (+84,030), Tennessee (+81,646) and Georgia (+81,406).


Not coincidentally, all these southern states have Republican governors, while California, New York, Illinois, New Jersey, Massachusetts and Pennsylvania have Democratic governors.
U-Haul, America’s largest moving company, recently released data underscoring the Census data. California, the state with the most electoral votes (55), ranked last in terms of migration numbers. Illinois ranked 49th, just ahead of Michigan, Massachusetts, New York and New Jersey.
In most of these states, the recipe for the exodus has three primary ingredients:
(1) Taxes. Californians’ earnings are taxed at 13.3 percent. Residents of New Jersey and New York see their earnings taxed at 10.75 percent and 8.82 percent, respectively. But if you live in Florida or Texas or Tennessee, your income is taxed at 0.0 percent.
(2) Crime: Things are so bad in progressive San Francisco that it fired its district attorney last year. New York saw a record 4,500-plus police officers resign as violent crime rose 22 percent from the year before. And Mayor Lori Lightfoot is in serious jeopardy of losing her reelection bid in Chicago, with 71 percent of voters saying that the city is headed in the wrong direction, according to one poll. Crime is the major reason why.

(3) Traffic. According to a study by U.S. News and World Report, the most congested cities in the country with the worst commutes are as follows: Boston, Chicago, Philadelphia, New York, Washington, D.C., Los Angeles and San Francisco.
The post-COVID-19 world prompted many employers to embrace a work-from-anywhere model. Given how horrific commutes into and out of those cities can be, getting dozens of hours of time back every week makes workers happier and more productive.
Now, if employees wants to leave New York or Chicago or Los Angeles for Tampa or Dallas or Nashville, they may be able to do so without leaving their job, thereby fueling the exodus.
These migration patterns have huge consequences for state budgets, per the Internal Revenue Service. New York’s tax base, for example, decreased by $19.5 billion in 2020, while California saw $17.8 billion leave that year. Illinois lost $8.5 billion.
Meanwhile, Florida gained $23.7 billion in gross income while Texas saw $6.3 billion added to its state coffers. North Carolina ($3.8 billion), South Carolina ($3.6 billion) and Tennessee (2.6 billion) also all saw positive gains in tax revenue.
There are political ramifications to consider as well. The most recent Census resulted in Republicans gaining House seats. In a razor-thin majority, these extra seats were crucial in handing the GOP the majority.
The wealth of tax revenue coming from an influx of new residents has helped red state governors such as Ron DeSantis (R-Fla.).
Meanwhile, in New York, Democratic Gov. Kathy Hochul is proposing a $227 billion budget for fiscal year 2024. Compare that number to Florida’s proposed budget, which comes in at $115 billion.
Why the comparison to New York? Because Florida has a larger population (21.78 million) than the Empire State (19.84 million), yet it spends half as much money to run the state. “This is just people voting with their feet,” DeSantis said in November.
Do we want a country that looks like California or Texas? One that mirrors New York or Florida?The next election may come down to the answers to questions as simple as these.
Joe Concha is a media and politics columnist.

 

[mariomike]

According to Fox Business,

Blue state exodus could flip the political map upside down, turning red states purple

Blue state exodus could flip the political map upside down, turning red states purple

The country’s blue exodus is shaking up demographics in states that are serving as landing spots.

www.foxbusiness.com

But as people leave the blue states for the red states, what they’re not doing is changing the way they vote, making the red states more purple than they were before,” added Fox Business' DeAngelis.

 

[Halifax Tar]

There is irony that Blue folks are fleeing the situations their blue governments created, and then continuing to vote blue in the more prosperous and stable red states they are fleeing to.

Is it irony or insanity ?

 

[Colin Parkinson]

There is irony that Blue folks are fleeing the situations their blue governments created, and then continuing to vote blue in the more prosperous and stable red states they are fleeing to.

Is it irony or insanity ?

They like the taste of blue crayons.

 

[FJAG]

Interesting to see that executives and talent at Fox News aren't insane; just opportunistic.

https://www.cnn.com/2023/02/16/media/fox-news-stars-executives-court-documents/index.html

 

[RangerRay]

Interesting to see that executives and talent at Fox News aren't insane; just opportunistic.

Oof. I figured Fox lost their journalistic integrity a while ago, but this just proves it. It’s one thing to present the news from a conservative viewpoint; it’s something else to spew dangerous bullshit because it will placate their snowflake viewers.

 

[JLB50]

Oof. I figured Fox lost their journalistic integrity a while ago, but this just proves it. It’s one thing to present the news from a conservative viewpoint; it’s something else to spew dangerous bullshit because it will placate their snowflake viewer

I agree as to their having no integrity. CNN has only slightly more at best. I find that the 3 primary U.S. networks—ABC, CBS and NBC—are somewhat better at being objective in their coverage.

 

[brihard]

Interesting to see that executives and talent at Fox News aren't insane; just opportunistic.

Fox better settle fast. Dominion is gonna DESTROY them in court with this.

 

[Remius]

I agree as to their having no integrity. CNN has only slightly more at best. I find that the 3 primary U.S. networks—ABC, CBS and NBC—are somewhat better at being objective in their coverage.

CNN was very much skewed on one side. New management there however is trying to be a bit more centrist in their approach. They’ve either fired, replaced or moved their more biased commentators and they have been toned down somewhat in last little while.