It could be a sign of the times or it could be a modernized continuance of always-existing partisan vitriol. Either way, the aggressive and discursive dialogue featured in most major U.S. news media is garnering more attention than usual in recent years – and there seems to be more of it. Four simple words have reignited vigorous debate over the nature of partisan politics in this country: ‘I hope Obama fails.’ Rush Limbaugh, hailed by some and viewed with askance by others as the new leader of the Republicans, made the controversial claim on his radio show to stunned and fearful reactions. His words, however appalling they may seem in this age of political correctness, are not so historically out of line. Political cartoonists and other deriders of public figures have long made controversy such as this; unlike Limbaugh, of course, they were far more sophisticated and veiled with their message. Stranger to note is the hypocrisy involved. Much ado was made of protesters on the left proclaiming former President Bush a war criminal. Talking heads on the right pointed to it as a sign of venomous hatred for America from the left, while talking heads on the left were quick to remove themselves from association with such a ‘lunatic fringe.’ The briefest glance at U.N. charter quickly reveals the Bush team to have been supreme violators of international law. Without involving politics, the facts are plainly spelled out: the George W. Bush administration violated international law and are war criminals. However, since a statement like this is extreme, it is given little attention in mainstream media. The problem with this line of thinking is the correct answer does not always lie in between two vehemently opposing viewpoints. Straightening out the muddled sea of disinformation and vitriol is a large task for Americans, and it comes from both sides (can Keith Olbermann be taken as anything other than the left’s Rush Limbaugh?). Leaders of the two main sides have one very convenient thing in their favor: most Americans still see themselves as belonging to the left or right. While Obama’s message of unity may be what is apparently needed in the current climate of rabid (but ultimately meaningless) political discourse, what is more needed is complete dissolution of the notion of left/right politics. Examining the facts of each case allows people to come to reasonable conclusions, informed by their own notions of what’s reasonable and what isn’t. One of the most pressing issues is the environment, and for no good reason it has become highly politicized. At its core, the issue is whether humans need to care for their environment and drastically change their behavior in order to preserve it, or will everything take care of itself and does none of it really matter? Any reasonable analysis of the issue, based on scientific fact and objective reasoning, without listening to any talking head from either side of the aisle, ought to reveal a pressing responsibility for humans to take better care of the world in which we live. No politics are required to come to this conclusion. Vitriolic remarks from one side to the other have existed for as long as there have been multiple sides to politics. The increasing politicization of the major news networks is an interesting development in this trend, and my hope is not that the difference between MSNBC and FOX News will grant Americans a broader perspective. Rather, the best possible outcome of wild proclamations like ‘I hope Obama fails’ is a disinterest in politics as they currently exist on the part of the American people. Instead of taking their politics to the polls with them, they may instead take their own wisdom and judgment, informed not by leaders of parties, but by their own understanding of what’s best for them and their country. In short, unity is less about merging the right wing and left into one giant, happy family. Unity is about coming to a new understanding of the world and its affairs, and realizing the truth doesn’t lie in a label, it lies in the facts.