Exhaustion

This week . . . shows signs on exhaustion—perhaps even a hint of desperation—on the jousting field of polarization. When the right accuses the left of racism and holding back blacks…and the left accuses the right of not caring enough about the deficit and laments the demise of The Weekly Standard as the closing of the “conservative mind,” at least you know the imaginative spirit of Orwell is alive and well, even if serious political discourse is not.

When reading these examples, check the above list and ask yourself: regardless of whether you agree or disagree, is this really advancing an intelligent resolution through the persuasive, rational arguments of advocacy…or simply fueling the fire of conflict through the divisive, emotional manipulations of polarization?

Here are just a few of the blue and red polarizing headlines from the past week.

Blue Headlines

Republicans have given up on democracy, deficits, and laws

Republican sore loser power grabs corrode our democracy so badly because they have no limits

How Republicans helped the rich raid the U.S. Treasury

The Rise of the Robots: How Trump and the Republicans betrayed their base voters

The closing of the conservative mind – and of The Weekly Standard

Republicans in Congress Are in Turmoil, Thanks to Trump

Research predicted this wave of right-wing domestic terrorism. Republicans tanked the report.

Red Headlines

Liberals Have Gone Mental

Learn Why The Left Wants To Chop Off Your Son’s Balls

Liberal Media Propagandists Keep Pushing Doom and Gloom in the Markets While Ignoring Historically Strong Economy

How Liberal Policy Keeps Black Kids From Succeeding

Things That Are Normal When Democrats Do Them Are Appalling And Evil When Republicans Do Them

Hate-Soaked Liberals Go Hunting for Rudolph the Reindeer

The Racism the Left Ignores

More to explore

How a Christian conservative found his way to Braver Angels

06/09/2026 No Comments

As a young man, Daniel’s father emerged from a broken, dysfunctional home looking for direction and found it while attending a Billy Graham crusade in Chicago. There, he “walked forward”—committing himself to Jesus Christ and changing the trajectory of his family. Not long after, he married Daniel’s mom, a Christian convert whose grandparents sought refuge in America after escaping pogroms in Europe.

Announcing Braver Angels Advisory Council

06/05/2026 No Comments

Twenty-three leaders who disagree on many things said yes to the same thing this month. They agreed to stand together, publicly, behind the idea that Americans can hold fast to their convictions while staying genuinely curious about the convictions of people on the other side. That’s it. That’s the commitment. For more than nine years, Braver Angels has reached people in every state in the union. The ones who’ve engaged have experienced something that surprises them every time: the relief of disagreeing without contempt, and the discovery that the person across the table is not who the feed said they were.

Happy National Volunteer Week!

04/17/2026 No Comments

Braver Angels is powered by volunteers: everyday people who believe they have a role in bringing out the best in our country. And seeing our volunteers in action—giving their time and energy to bring together individuals who never dreamed they’d be in a room together—has buoyed me through all the political uncertainty.