(02-05-2020 12:26 PM)OptimisticOwl Wrote:  

(02-05-2020 12:09 PM)RiceLad15 Wrote:  Upon reflection, I find it heartening that some posters on here appear to be rather offended or piqued at Pelosi and the Dems for how they acted at the SOTU - sitting down/not applauding, tearing up a speech, etc.
They too have been furious at Trump for all of his actions over the past few years, and understand exactly why his actions, and the embrace of Trump by the Republican party has pushed voters away from them.

I wouldn't say I was offended. But my first thought was the mirror image of yours - I wonder what Democrats who have made such a big deal of Trump's bad behavior will think of less-than-polite behavior on the part of some of their icons?
Now I know. They will defend it.

This is totally partisan both ways. Democrats who railed at a representative for yelling "liar" during one of Obama's SOTU speeches (and IIRC he was lying at the time) see nothing wrong with Nancy's antics. Vice versa for republicans. As long as the standard of behavior remains governed by partisan considerations on both sides, it will just get worse.

Quite frankly, I think we need to have a version of the UK's Prime Minister's Questions, where all rules of propriety are kind of thrown out the window and you get to be as rude and ugly as you like. Let off steam with than, and then maybe it would be easier to work in a more honorable way the rest of the time.

On the one hand, I hate the visuals of partisan rancor. On the other hand, given what both parties are proposing, I strongly favor gridlock. I don't want either one's ideas to be implemented. So the longer they stay too angry at each other to get anything done, the better.