How divided is our nation ?

If you were president of all the people, Democrats, Republicans, and others, what would you do to unite the country? Would you even try? Would you think it important? Or would you do like George W Bush has done? Divide the country and hope you have enough votes to win the next election, the world be damned?

I cannot recall the country being as divided as today - not even during the Viet Nam War - although there was more violence in the streets etc, at that time. I think our country is more divided today. The times were different. The leaders of today are much more fascist and secretive.

If you could unite the country to some degree by putting a Repub on the ticket as VP, would you refuse to do that? Would you put your Party over your country,if you were president? That said, I do not think John McCain will be the VP on the Kerry ticket. However, if John Kerry decided that he thought the nation was so divided and that would help to bring us back together for some common purpose as a nation, I would not hold that against him.

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Maybe McCain can diffuse any issue of partisanship and help put these traitors, crooks and rapists behind bars.

If a liberal agreed to serve as Bush's VP, would you be united behind Bush? Of course, not.

Did Republican Paul O'Neil speaking out against Bush untie the country? No.

What if it were John Kerry's opinion that it would help to unite the nation, would his opinion carry any weight with you?

I would he think he was making a big mistake, if he picked McCain as his running mate.

I'd still vote for Kerry.

I don't think he needs McCain on the ticket...but I would not sweat him being the Sec of Defense. I think Kerry has a bunch of good VP candidates to choose from.

We are past that point. The country is too divided.

If Kerry chose McCain, Dems would be furious & so would Repubs.

If, IF IF IF we lived in a different world, it might work. But the hate & division is too deep, among the party faithful.

I believe Independents & Moderate Dems & Repubs might go for it, but not the party loyalists.

I think Kerry should run with a Dem...Wes Clark...& when elected, try to heal some of the divisions.

But while you have people like Tom Delay running the Repubs, forget it.

to *talk* to the country about the issues that divide it. Any intellectually honest person holding the office should be able to address the country on an ongoing basis and talk realistically about what is fair, and what is right, without resorting to partisanship. Such honesty won't work intially for a lot of people--all they'll want to hear is their base message. But it comes down to the fact that if we weren't so damn divided, we could accomplish a lot more, and our reputation might be restored in some measure with the rest of the world. It could also lead to lessening of tensions on several internal fronts--racial, sexual orientation, etc.

I'm not saying this would be easy. But it would be better than what we have now; the dialogue is so dominated by fear and hate and disingenuousness right now.