When we all lose

The end of this post by Eric Tarloff of The Atlantic is dead on:

I'd much rather be governed by a party the policies of which I deplore but one that governs responsibly, competently, and with respect for the Constitution, than by a theocratic cabal dictated to by its own most rabid supporters, mistrustful of facts, demonizing of its opponents, and scornfully dismissive of all points of view that diverge from its own. You can argue with the former, you can debate it, you can contest elections with it. Sometimes you will win and sometimes you will lose, but the victories and the defeats will be over matters of real consequence. When, instead, political battles are deliberately waged by one side over red-herrings that arouse passion and irrational anger, when they are fought over the contrived question of whether one candidate personally freed a convicted rapist for a weekend furlough, or went to Moscow as a student in order to enlist as a Soviet spy, or somehow faked his heroism in Vietnam, or is a Muslim or a socialist or an illegal alien, then we have ventured into the realms of pig-fucking. It debases all public discourse. No one finally benefits from that, not even the victors.

This is why I despise the Palins, Hannitys, Limbaughs, and ilk of the wing of the Republican party - because they are weakening my government by not actually playing the role the minority is supposed to. The Democrats failed to do this duty well during the early part of the Bush administration, and we all suffered for it. Rather than winning on issues and policy through debate, we get the Birthers getting consideration by the representatives in government as a legitimate concern. We get the Blue Dog Democrats having to play the role of Republican party that can't make a legitimate point about issues. And we get a weakened democracy because of it. I would love to see the Republican party win again on a platform of thought and reasoned ideas and policy. But they need to trim the waste first, and until then we're all the worse for it.

"A patriot is one who has a lovers' quarrel with his country." When can we get back to that? Or have we ever even really had it to begin with in this modern age?