Is it any wonder that little has gotten done, or is getting done, in Congress? For one I'm really tiring of the political backbiting and sniping going on in Congress on a daily basis. If something is the other party's idea, it's dumb and awful and I won't vote for it. Those elected by the public continue to try to incite their "base" followers to feel the same. Much the same is evident even in this forum. Only occasionally are there productive discussions of issues. More often, it's more of the partisan mud-throwing.

The result is that little is accomplished in Washington that isn't the proposal of one party or the other, depending on which one has the political power. The idea of a bi-partisan approach to solutions simply isn't happening...and hasn't happened in years. Where have all the statesmen gone?

The scary thing is that the politicians are reflecting the feelings of the country. Maybe vice versa, but in a democracy you have to conclude that it starts with the people.

Normally, you would think that public opinion on almost any subject or idea would center on something "in the middle", with a distribution of thoughts, ideas and feelings surrounding some average. But the recent CNN Report Card on the President, the administration and even the media doesn't show any sort of "bell shaped curve". It is a startling bi-modal distribution. It's like the population of the U.S. is becoming in terms of income--lots of people at the ends and fewer in the middle, near the average.

Here's the overall results of the recent CNN poll. I'm sure the participants weren't scientifically selected, but there sure were enough participants (over 300,000 people submitted their votes) to make the results statistically reliable.

I ask this question...

What does it mean when 37% of the people grade what's going on politically with and A or B grade while 36% grade what's going on as F (failed)? If the public is that polarized--and I can't think of an argument that it is not--then what really can we expect from those we elect to represent us?

Is this the way a democracy is supposed to work?