Political Partisanship in the USA? Clearly it's the Republicans' fault.

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**Breotan**

At least that's what the narrative is. However, the truth may not be so cut and dry.

Robby Soave wrote:For crime of hanging out with a Republican, Democratic state senator fires staffer

A recent college graduate and aide to Colorado state Senator Irene Aguilar was fired from his job because he visited the office of a friend who worked for a Republican.

Tyler Drum, who graduated from Colorado State University last year, told Campus Reform that his friendship with Republicans made Sen. Aguilar uncomfortable, though she did not formally give a reason for his firing.

“Partisanship runs much deeper than I thought,” he said in an interview with Campus Reform. “I thought this would happen on the Republican side.”

Drum, now unemployed, has lost some of his faith in the Democratic Party.

“Now I’m a disenchanted Democrat,” he said. “This was my first job after graduating, [the Democrats] don’t care about my situation, they don’t care to know who I am.”

On her Facebook page, however, she tersely disputed the charge. When asked by another Facebook user whether Drum was fired for having a Republican friend, she replied: “No.” When asked whether the news story was true, she said only that it was: “Distorted.”

In an interview with The Daily Caller, Drum confirmed Campus Reform’s account of the tale, giving additional context that made the firing seem even less justified.

Drum explained that he was recommended for the position via a mutual contact. He had previously interned for Democratic State Senator Andy Kerr. When Aguilar hired him, she said her only reservation was that he had previously interned with the Log Cabin Republicans, a group for gay conservatives. Drum said he was raised Republican but became a Democrat in recent years — an answer that satisfied Aguilar, for the time being.

But last week, during an orientation for legislative aides, Drum chose to sit with friends from previous internships, one of whom was a Republican.

Later, Drum thought it would be perfectly reasonable to introduce his Republican friend to his new co-workers, which included Aguilar. But soon after he did so, the Democratic state senator pulled him out of the orientation session and said, “the Democratic Leadership was uncomfortable with [his] friendship with [the Republican aide].”

“The Democratic Party is not as tolerant and accepting as I had thought,” he told The DC.

Drum’s friend used to intern for a Democrat — a fact that didn’t matter to Drum, or to the Republican state Senate caucus. The only group singularly partisan enough to forbid cross-party friendships is the Colorado Democratic Party, it seems.

**Gentleman_Jellyfish**

“Partisanship runs much deeper than I thought,” he said in an interview with Campus Reform. “I thought this would happen on the Republican side.”

Ow my head

Automatically Appended Next Post:
Although the fact that he made it this long without realizing both parties are asses means he's a perfect candidate for Presidency.

**Frazzled**

Meh, if a passing porto potty truck hit a curb and sprayed everyone mentioned in the story from head to toe, I'd feel it was a good day.

**kronk**

Frazzled wrote:
Meh, if a passing porto potty truck hit a curb and sprayed everyone mentioned in the story from head to toe, I'd feel it was a good day.

Let's rent one!

**Frazzled**

deal!

**FirePainter**

*thrusts hand in the air*

Can I help?? Pick me! Pick me!

**hotsauceman1**

"Drum, now unemployed, has lost some of his faith in the Democratic Party."
This guy is an idiot. the actions of one =/= the actions of all. Many Dems are nice people who woul not fire you for this, you just got unlucky. There are Many republicans who would not fire you aswell.

**Alfndrate**

hotsauceman1 wrote:
"Drum, now unemployed, has lost some of his faith in the Democratic Party."
This guy is an idiot. the actions of one =/= the actions of all. Many Dems are nice people who woul not fire you for this, you just got unlucky. There are Many republicans who would not fire you aswell.

Except that in his narrow world view, the Republicans were the ones distrustful of democrats (as pointed out when he said, "I thought this would happen on the Republican side." he get's canned because he associated with someone working for a Republican, and his friend was not fired for associating with a Democrat. In his view, that statement makes perfect sense.

The problem is, it should have read more like this: "Drum, now unemployed, has lost some of his faith in the US political system."

**hotsauceman1**

That just makes me even care less for him

**Kilkrazy**

What narrative?

**Alfndrate**

hotsauceman1 wrote:
That just makes me even care less for him

We were supposed to care for him in the first place?

**gorgon**

You know whose fault it is?

It's the fault of ordinary citizens who turn off their critical thinking and lose all perspective, instead swallowing partisan talking points hook, line, and sinker.

**Ouze**

Truly, Obama is history's greatest monster.

I look forward to tomorrow's liberal outrage

**AlmightyWalrus**

Ouze wrote:
Truly, Obama is history's greatest monster.

I look forward to tomorrow's liberal outrage

If only he had a gun, he could've prevented this commie-nazi from firing him, but since he didn't it's his own fault. If he did have a gun, though, it'd look like Obama.

Did I miss anything?

**Ouze**

Hitler, somehow?

**Alfndrate**

Ouze wrote:
Truly, Obama is history's greatest monster.

I look forward to tomorrow's liberal outrage

I liked the post before the edit and was going to make a witty comment about it being a new holiday called "Fiscal Clifficus"

**Ouze**

Alfndrate wrote:
I liked the post before the edit and was going to make a witty comment about it being a new holiday called "Fiscal Clifficus"

I decided a rote answer was a better response to the laughable premise that the tone for political discourse on the left in this country is set by the interactions between a freshman state senator from Colorado - someone I suspect perhaps 10% of the residents of her own state could even name - and her disputed interaction with an unpaid intern.

I mean, does that idea actually deserve a serious response? I expect a lot of, know, fake clickbait stories from the outrage noise machine but this is kind of a squeaky, wet fart of a "story" at best.

**Vaktathi**

Not wanting to wade too much into anything political here, but I'm sure you can find gakky people on both sides (and more sides) that have done stuff like this, especially when we're talking about one amongst thousands of state legislators.

**Peregrine**

Breotan wrote:
state Senator

That says it all, really. State government is where they keep all of the politicians that are too crazy to function anywhere else.

**d-usa**

When will we wake up to the threat of having gangs of Republicans groom democratic staffers to make them think that "bipartisanship" is okay?

**Gentleman_Jellyfish**

d-usa wrote:
When will we wake up to the threat of having gangs of Republicans groom democratic staffers to make them think that "bipartisanship" is okay?

This sounds like the same thing that was said about the gays

**Ouze**

Gentleman_Jellyfish wrote:
d-usa wrote:
When will we wake up to the threat of having gangs of Republicans groom democratic staffers to make them think that "bipartisanship" is okay?

This sounds like the same thing that was said about the gays

AND LOOK WHAT HAPPENED THERE.

**Gentleman_Jellyfish**

Ouze wrote:
Gentleman_Jellyfish wrote:
d-usa wrote:
When will we wake up to the threat of having gangs of Republicans groom democratic staffers to make them think that "bipartisanship" is okay?

This sounds like the same thing that was said about the gays

AND LOOK WHAT HAPPENED THERE.

OH MY GOD YOU'RE RIGHT!

**Dreadclaw69**

d-usa wrote:
When will we wake up to the threat of having gangs of Republicans groom democratic staffers to make them think that "bipartisanship" is okay?

Now show us on the doll where the Republican suggested cooperation

**timetowaste85**

I made it through two sentences. A new low. The title made me want to post how most things wrong are the fault of republicans and that I agree. The article made me ashamed to be a democrat.

**Ensis Ferrae**

timetowaste85 wrote:
The article made me ashamed to be a democrat.

I didn't know it took that much, I mean, I kinda thought the shame came when you registered

**Jehan-reznor**

Republicans and Democrats, same Please don't bypass the language filters like this Reds8n different wrapper.

**Co'tor Shas**

Vote independent.

Actually scratch that, Vote for the Empy.

**d-usa**

Dreadclaw69 wrote:
d-usa wrote:
When will we wake up to the threat of having gangs of Republicans groom democratic staffers to make them think that "bipartisanship" is okay?

Now show us on the doll where the Republican suggested cooperation

*points at the dolls hands and then at my pocket..

**Gentleman_Jellyfish**

d-usa wrote:
Dreadclaw69 wrote:
d-usa wrote:
When will we wake up to the threat of having gangs of Republicans groom democratic staffers to make them think that "bipartisanship" is okay?

Now show us on the doll where the Republican suggested cooperation

*points at the dolla hands and then at my pocket..

*Puts on my robe and wizard hat*