Bradt Hollow Road

It was a pleasant day walking along Bradt Hollow Road. I saw a couple of phesants in the bush, along the way.

Taken on Sunday October 4, 2020 at Valcour Island.

How Hatred Came To Dominate American Politics | FiveThirtyEight

How Hatred Came To Dominate American Politics | FiveThirtyEight

This is hardly a new trend; in fact, it’s increasingly common among American voters. However, this level of hatred — which political scientists call “negative partisanship” — has reached levels that are not just bad for democracy, but are potentially destructive. And extreme partisan animosity is a prelude to democratic collapse.

It wasn’t always this bad, though. Forty years ago, when asked to rate how “favorable and warm” their opinion of each party was, the average Democrat and Republican said they felt OK-ish about the opposite party. But for four decades now, partisans have increasingly turned against each other in an escalating cycle of dislike and distrust — views of the other party are currently at an all-time low.

Maybe I'm old fashioned but I like ticket splitting. 60-40 is my preference. I think it keeps politicians accountable and when you have divided government it help ensures minority rights are protected.