Has there ever been so great a gulf in USA politics?

(written by lawrence krubner, however indented passages are often quotes). You can contact lawrence at: lawrence@krubner.com, or follow me on Twitter.

One thing that seems unique about the current moment in USA politics is how decent most of the national Democrats are, and how loathsome the national Republicans are. I don’t think there’s ever been a time where one party was so full of honest and decent people, while the other party was so devoid of any.

This bit with Gabby Giffords is the extreme case:

According to the Washington Post, Louis Gohmert [R-Texas] released a statement earlier this week clarifying his decision not to hold a town hall meeting in person, citing “violent strains of the leftist ideology, some even being paid, who are preying on public town halls to wreak havoc and threaten public safety.” He also called out former Congresswoman Gabby Giffords and the 2011 shooting that left six people dead, pointing to that incident as an example of what could happen if a politician dared show their face in public.

In a statement released Thursday, Giffords was unflinching in her response, saying that town halls and actually listening to the people that she was meant to serve was “one of the core tenets of the job I was hired to do.” Addressing Gohmert’s comments, she said “I was shot on a Saturday morning. By Monday morning my offices were open to the public.”

“To the politicians who have abandoned their civic obligations, I say this,” she continued. “Have some courage. Face your constituents. Hold town halls.”

His cowardice and her courage are both remarkable in their extremes.

Post external references

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    http://theslot.jezebel.com/gabby-giffords-to-texas-gop-rep-louie-gohmert-who-refus-1792699321
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