That does not absolve those who responsible for the problem of any culpability. Whataboutism isn’t valid response. The problems with unemployment aid were bipartisan. In my State, the Democrats own that mess because they created it. That isn’t a partisan assertion, that is a non-controversial observation of reality.

I’ve never been a conservative but I am not so much in denial that I will pretend that the comedic failure of execution at the State level by Democrats was actually the fault of some nebulous “conservatives”. The conservatives were never involved. The Democrats own that failure, and you would hope they have the self-awareness to recognize that.

In case it wasn’t clear I’m with you. As someone that’s lived almost all his adult life in a deep blue city in a blue state, I’m not a fan of letting incompetent or corrupt politicians and civil servants off the hook merely because they share my party registration. Competence matters.

Democrats seem to be judged by their intentions not their results

Republicans seem to be judged by their results and if the results are perceived bad their intentions are asssumed to be malicious and based in an ism or phobia of some kind

Btw, I am a Democrat and occassionally I'd like to call bullshit on many things. Challenge our own assumptions. But in last couple of years, that's become really difficult. I am vehemently against censorship and it appears to me that Democrats have unconstrained power since Big Tech and the entire internet is on our side. This is feeling a bit dangerous to me.

Your comment on Republican party is spot on. I'd be down with a more centrist and less populist party - Lincoln party would be something I'd consider.

I also don't take politics as seriously as so many people in this country. It shouldn't consume you. It should be a peaceful debate with picking good points and rejecting crazy ideas.

My biggest criticism of HN is that it doesn't know how to handle conflicting interests and most people here have lost their ability to speak freely and against mainstream. It used to be that HN was a contrarian community with lots of interesting perspectives without downvotes. It's no longer the same. My hunch is that social media is shaping the world to be more in-line with mob mentality and it is dismantling the founding principles of America. America is headquarted in Menlo Park, CA.

I am a small l libertarian, have observed politics since the mid 90's it has been interesting to see how how the political parties have changed

Democrats seem to think they Republicans have gone "far right" but from my point of view the both have shifted to the left socially with the democrat party taking a HUGE left turn starting around 2008, but really accelerating in 2016...

Where Socially republicans are more "left" or libertarian on many social issues from Gay marriage to Abortion[1], and economically are more open to "Blue Dog" democrat economic positions but now Democrats are "Democratic socialism or nothing".

[1] I recognize with Abortion there are a few state laws they may go against this statement, but this is a direct reaction to Democrats moving away from "Safe, Legal and Rare" of the 90's to full on celebration of abortion as a primary birth control method and women's empowerment issue.

I don’t think that’s the whole picture. Free trade has virtually no defenders now and deficit hawks few and far between, especially when their party is in power. Even a strong dollar and low inflation don’t have many defenders anymore. Basically the American public have given up on free market economics and are now squabbling over the best way to manipulate it.

That is kinda what I mean by republicans are more open to blue dog positions from the 90's... More Social Safety net, more money printing, more debt, and even more taxation.

This would have been unheard of in the 90's for a Republican, now today the difference is "Do we Print and spend 3 Trillion or 6 Trillion this year?"

Sadly for me I think the full effects of these terrible economic polices are going to hit about the time I ready to retire. 10 Years go I did not think retirement would be an option.. 2 years go I saw some hope... Today I am back to believing I will work until I am dead as there is no way these economic policies we see today will work out well for anyone.

Bill Clinton was a free trader and ran a surplus. I don’t think this has to do with the Republicans turning to the left. They are going back to an older, nativist, version of the right.

Bill Clinton ran a surplus because of the 1994 Contract with America and He had a strong Republican controlled Congress that he had the desire to work with to get things done.

unlike today where no one wants to work together to get anything done as the other side is "evil"

I am not sure what you believe an "older, nativist, version of the right" looks like so I can not possible comment on that