Partisan polarization always leads to the creation of parallel universes.
Mr. Jacobson called that the most profound partisan polarization since before World War I.
The recent history of partisan polarization casts doubt on prospects for such a grand bargain.
They got much worse after Newt Gingrich's 1994 Republican takeover of the House; then the premium was on partisan polarization.
Or do partisan polarization, special-interest money, snarling news outlets and public disaffection ensure gridlock into the indefinite future?
The easy answer is to point to shortcomings in our confirmation process and to partisan polarization in Washington.
Representative Charles B. Rangel of New York said he was worried that the court would only add to the partisan polarization.
"There's a much greater need now to appear bipartisan, but this partisan polarization kicks in," said Noel McCarty, a professor of political science at Columbia University.
And it would ease the intense partisan polarization that weakens our capacity for self-government and public trust in our governing institutions.
He urged Republicans and Democrats to find common ground, warning that the "partisan polarization of our politics" represented one of the nation's gravest problems.
"There is a tendency on the Sunday shows to look more toward partisan polarization," said David Gergen, a senior analyst for CNN who has advised four presidents.
