The word "fight" has been a problem in politics for a long time. Fortunately, US Reps and Senators have refrained from the physical act for over a century (I believe one senator actually killed another in the Senate Chamber prior to the Civil War!).
In my experience running for and serving in office, very few voters or fellow office holders have any appetite for fighting. We certainly express our opinions, but the common good is the common goal. However, this does not make for great headlines.
Our brethren in the fourth estate still operate under the golden rule of yellow journalism: "If it bleeds, it leads." Unfortunately, the human adrenal system responds more robustly to danger than to respectful discourse, so the rule still rules.
Since the vast majority of citizens get their information through the bleeding lens, "fight" is destined to be the perceived lingua franca of political debate. Never mind that Orin Hatch and Ted Kennedy were best friends. Or RBG and Antonio Scalia. Or dozens of other current office holders. Far more bills are passed by large margins than small. You won't know it by reading Google or Apple News. In those venues, the fight is always on.
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The word "fight" has been a problem in politics for a long time. Fortunately, US Reps and Senators have refrained from the physical act for over a century (I believe one senator actually killed another in the Senate Chamber prior to the Civil War!).
In my experience running for and serving in office, very few voters or fellow office holders have any appetite for fighting. We certainly express our opinions, but the common good is the common goal. However, this does not make for great headlines.
Our brethren in the fourth estate still operate under the golden rule of yellow journalism: "If it bleeds, it leads." Unfortunately, the human adrenal system responds more robustly to danger than to respectful discourse, so the rule still rules.
Since the vast majority of citizens get their information through the bleeding lens, "fight" is destined to be the perceived lingua franca of political debate. Never mind that Orin Hatch and Ted Kennedy were best friends. Or RBG and Antonio Scalia. Or dozens of other current office holders. Far more bills are passed by large margins than small. You won't know it by reading Google or Apple News. In those venues, the fight is always on.
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