[martincmartin]

The hyperpartisan politics in the U.S. has been fostered since long before the internet. On the right, "rage radio" has been big since the early 90s. After listening to conservative outrage, it's hard to then listen to the other side of an argument and think "they may have a point."

Similarly, left wing comedy-news shows make fun of the other side. When you see the other side as ripe for ridicule, its hard to then say, "but they may have a point."

Source: I've known many people on both sides, and it always saddens me that discussions don't boil down to "let's both look at the arguments from both sides." Instead, there's an emotional "the other side is nuts" response that blocks all attempts at even discussing things fairly.