He’s a father of a 28-year-old son and he’s hurting. A retired police officer, he proudly voted for Donald Trump every time he ran and never hid his political beliefs from his family. “My son and his wife say that since I’m a fan of Trump they’re no fan of mine and cut me off,” he said. “Now I can’t see my only grandchild who I was so close to. It’s crazy and it’s tragic.”
It’s also increasingly common. The 2024 election spatchcocked the nation, widening a rift that was exposed in 2016 and put in an even sharper gulf four years later. Now, the hyper-partisan politics in the shadow of the 2024 election is breaking the bonds of families to a greater extent than ever before.
One thing people don’t realize. Back in the day, travel was difficult. Elected officials would stay in Washington for months at a time. Members of Congress [R and D] routinely hung out together. These days they spend the weekends in their districts courting votes.
Another problem is the weaponizing of C-SPAN. Before 24 hour coverage a speech on the floor was routinely ignored. A Memeber could talk down a Bill on the floor, knowing his local paper would cover it, and then make a quiet deal behind the scenes. Now everyone is forced into intractable positions.