Debating in Parallel Universes: Democrats debate health care, Republicans debate torture

[DeepModem Mom]

WP: Debating In Parallel Universes
By E.J. Dionne Jr.
Friday, June 1, 2007; Page A15

So when Democratic presidential candidates get together, they argue about who has the best health-care plan. When Republicans have a big discussion, it's about torture and who'll use it when.

Okay, okay, Republicans had their chat about torture in one debate in response to a hypothetical question. Still, the contrast points to one of the strangest qualities of the 2008 presidential campaign: Our two political parties and their candidates are living in parallel universes. It's as if the candidates were running for president in two separate countries. Their televised debates next week will be productions as different from each other as "American Idol" is from "P.T.I."

The parties do have some things in common -- Iraq and the economy are concerns for both. But beyond these two issues, what matters most to Republican voters is hugely different from what matters most to Democrats. The polarization between the parties extends to the very definition of our country, its problems and the stakes in the next elections.

Consider a Pew Research Center survey in April whose findings the center kindly re-analyzed for me. Asked to name the issue that would most affect their choice for president, respondents from both parties put Iraq first -- but it was named by 40 percent of Democrats and only 29 percent of Republicans. If Democrats in Congress wonder why they got so many e-mails and phone calls on the recent war-funding vote, that's why.

On almost every other issue, the gaps between the parties are even more striking. Health care was the most important for 13 percent of Democrats but 2 percent of Republicans. On the other hand, 17 percent of Republicans said issues related to terrorism and security were paramount in their choices, compared with 5 percent of Democrats. Terrorism is actually the No. 2 issue for Republicans, behind Iraq and slightly ahead of the economy. (The economy is No. 2 for Democrats, after Iraq.) No wonder Republicans got into all that detail last month about "enhanced interrogation techniques."...

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/05/31/AR2007053101852.html?nav=most_emailed

[damntexdem]

1. But when the GOPs debate torture, they think they ARE ...

debating health care -- at least the only kind they want government to fund.

;-)