When do you think american people start to develop bipolar partisanship mentality the first time?

I'm curious about what you think about this.
Is it before the civil war, or after, or when?
I also want to know about the how or the why.

Thanks for the reply,
Jazzy

ps: Don't forget about the how or the why.

[edit on Mon, 22 Mar 10 by Jazzyguy]

As much as i hate to quote wiki answers this is fairly accurate of when it all started

The Democratic Party emerged in the 1830s, consisting of those who supported Pres Andrew Jackson against his opponents, who then called themselves "National Republicans" and later "Whigs." Democrats often claimed a longer ancestry as supposed heirs of the Democratic-Republican Party of Thomas Jefferson, but this claim is tenuous as many former Jeffersonians became Whigs. The Republican Party emerged in the 1850s when the Whigs broke up over the Slavery issue, and Northern Whigs merged with some antislavery Democrats.

Source: wiki.answers.com...

In my opinion political parties are just like religions... A set of beliefs that a lot of people believe in that is only in place for one reason and that's to keep the people fighting each other over pointless topics instead of working together to make the world a better place.

Partisan politics is the keystone of a republic. It is a process where you try to get 10 people from different backrounds into a room and try to agree on what side of a coin is best. Its human nature to be different and have a different perspective.

during the time of lincoln, people used to get literally violent in congress. They were talking about slavery and a north carolina congressman beat up the representitive from massachuttes.

Washington may have been the only fully beloved president...but that is because he didn't really have much competition and people figured he was going to be king anyhow.

Partisan politics is to a democracy (or republic) the way that stink is to french cheese.

It's childish and immature though

don't you think ?

reply to post by Dock9


It is a representation of the people.

Are people childish and immature? My answer to that is...we can be.

I believe it goes back to the battles (and what we call dirty politics) between Adams and Jefferson during those years after Washington. There was a great special on it on PBS.

Why coalesce only into two big parties? I find it rather odd. As far as I know this doesn't happen often in other countries, perhaps not ever. Usually there are three major parties or more.

Maybe, just maybe, america as a whole suffers from a split personality disorder. Like Dr Jeykill and Mr Hyde.

If that's the case it makes america a rather dangerous country, since it's not really as reliable or as predictable as previously thought.

[edit on Mon, 22 Mar 10 by Jazzyguy]