Bi-Partisanship is BS

I never quite understood why, in the United States, the party in power always talks about bi-partisanship. After all, the reason we have elections is to determine which side will get to dictate the agenda. There is a winner and a loser. And if the winner fails, they can be thrown out in two or four years, depending on the type of office.



I always felt that parties in power spoke of bi-partisanship as a way of buttering up voters who elected the losers. That and to have the ability to say that any failed policy was the product of both parties even though it was conceived by one. I think that if the stimulous bill will fail, the Democrats will say that they had Republican support (even though it was 3 Republican turncoat senators at best).



Bi-partisanship rarely lasts anyway. Pelosi spoke of it when she got in power and quickly neglected that. Think about it. Parties spend millions of dollars in order to end up SHARING the agenda? Heck no. They run to DICTATE the agenda. Bi-partisanship is a way of adding legitimacy to their ideas. It's a way of getting elected by appealing to centrist voters.

But do not think for a second that there is some righteous motive behind it to make for better legislation. Both parties think that their way is the only way.