I think blue lies in the party leaders in-fighting, egotism, and lack of trust for the other side. From there, those very same party leaders stifle the ability for individual representatives to even consider both sides of the argument by threatening their party members if they don't along party lines. They say they will lose support of the party in their re-election bids, will keep them off prestigious committees, and basically treat them as cast-offs, therefore it's these handful of party leaders that are the select, elite few, that drive the partisanship and ultimately what view each side takes.

Look at the Freedom caucus during the GOP healthcare proposal. This is how you CAN fight the party leadership..by banding together to oppose leadership and having enough to actually swing the vote. Party leadership can bully individuals but it's much harder with a group of 20-25.

I think another good example is with the cabinet confirmation hearings which almost entirely went along party lines. McConnell promised Trump he would deliver all of these cabinet posts. Senators McCain, Graham, and Rubio all expressed grave concerns about Tillerson....AND THEY WERE RIGHT. Yet, they all voted with the party and pushed him through into a position he is poorly qualified for, and now we are paying the price that inexperience with the global unrest. Bottom line - individual representative have to start voting their beliefs and conscious and the bullying by party leadership has to stop. Mcconnell and Schemer have to go...Ryan and Pelosi have to go...."draining the swamp" is a good idea, the problem is the it's all cronyism and even DJT is a part of it.