Polar Opposites

Ellsworth Toohey: Mr Roark, we're alone here. Why don't you tell me what you think of me in any words you wish.
Howard Roark: But I don't think of you.
--The Fountainhead

Nice observation made here. America in general is not polarized. Many if not most Americans are apolitical.

Excellent interview with Morris Fiorina, maybe the greatest political scientist ever. One snippet: "One of the interesting findings from my book is that the more involved in politics you are ... the less accurate you are about the other side." https://t.co/vC89u75SBf

— Tim Groseclose (@Tim_Groseclose) May 14, 2019

Those who are polarized tend to be the activists. And, as political scientist Morris Fiorina of Stanford observes, the more active in politics that a person is, the more likely that the person mis-characterizes people on the other side.

While Fiorina believes this to be an interesting finding of his research, it is predictable from social identity theory. The stronger your affinity to a group, the greater your bias against other groups.