Once upon a time, our founders put into place, an amazing political experiment !

Now, among the various elements of that experiment was the notion  of a forum for the open debate of ideas.  And of course, the purpose of such debate was to allow for the expression of opposing arguments on any issue which would, hopefully, produce better ideas that would incorporate the best of each opposing side's positions.

But, how can that ever happen if neither side is bothering to listen?  If the opposing sides allow themselves to become so politically polarized that they enter any forum, closed to the possibility of there ever being any merit to the other side's argument, what is really being accomplished?  If both sides become so obsessed with their respective partisan labels and merely continue to adhere to the sound of old familiar cliches, then neither side will ever get the benefit of spending any time listening to the merits of what the other side has to offer.  And if nobody is even taking the time to listen, then what real value is there in such a process?

At some point, should we not be asking ourselves . . . haven't we reached a point where this whole thing is beginning to border on insanity?  And if not . . . then just how much worse does it have to get before you finally do get "mad as hell and aren't going to take it anymore" ?