So much for unity...

Though I am reluctant to judge Obama just yet, one aspect of his administration is clear: his promise to “end partisanship” in America will go unfulfilled. In fact, since his administration took power the opposite has happened. Today, I would like to discuss this growing trend of partisanship and how to prevent it. Much of this recent surge of partisanship is not Obama’s fault, but merely the result of the fact that he is so liberal. In other areas, though, he is indeed responsible.

The first arena in which Obama’s promise will go unfulfilled is in Congress itself. During the election, he promised to work more closely with Republicans in Congress, ensuring that his legislation would have the support of both parties. Instead, the results of the election made the Republicans an endangered species in Congress, making it difficult to oppose the Democrats. This, in turn, caused the Democrats to attempt to pass legislation that they wouldn’t otherwise, infuriating the Republicans.

To be fair, not much of this is Obama’s fault—though he could have done a better job of working with Republicans on the stimulus bill, many of them refused approve any kind of government spending related legislation, making compromise impossible. Additionally, many Democrats exacerbated the problem by attempting to abuse their newfound supermajority, which angered Republicans and made them less willing to compromise.

Obama’s election has also created partisan issues in the public sphere. After some of the stimulus legislation and bailouts passed, many prominent conservatives turned into alarmists, declaring that Obama is a socialist, communist, Muslim, and tyrant. The best example of this is the infamous Tea Parties, which had cropped up in response to the most recent economic legislation. Also, other social issues are inflaming conservatives, such as Obama’s reversal of the stem cell research ban. There are also some issues concerning gun control, even though Obama has done nothing in this area so far. In fact, many gun-happy Americans are buying as many weapons as they can, fearing that Obama is going to tighten gun control laws.

These social issues (and the all-important economic one) could be considered Obama’s fault, but he is not to blame for the alarmism and destructive criticism. I certainly understand the animosity towards bailouts and the inevitable tax increases. But the real instigators of the conservative anti-Obama movement are Republican rabble-rousers such as Rush Limbaugh, who, as we all know, “hopes Obama fails.” To put it bluntly, I have no sympathy for these destructive critics, just as I had no sympathy for those who blithely criticized George Bush without offering their own solution. However, many Americans are so infuriated and depressed with the economic situation that ruthless rhetoric sounds appealing.

What can we do about this issue? Unfortunately, I do not believe there is an easy solution. Americans are almost always going to disagree, and there are always going to be rabble-rousers on both sides of party lines. The best we can hope for is that Americans eventually grow tired of constant criticism and resolve to form their own opinions. But I’m not holding my breath.