Comments about ‘Michael Gerson: Today's ideological debate is simplistic and shallow’

The U.S. has, by far, the developed world's smallest welfare state. That will continue to be true no matter who wins the election. Keep that in mind when you hear all the partisan sniping.

Perhaps Gerson could get his Tea Party members to speak and act more rationally. And it was Newt Gingrich and his gang who took the hostility to an unprecedented level in order to gain power. Was it worth it? It is the right that is aggressively hostile. The Dems haven't played that game all that well and still don't in comparison. The fact that Mike Gerson is a more moderate voice from the right indicates how far they have gone.

Good editorial. But will the Tea Party listen to a conservative who talks sense? Fat chance. I think the GOP's only hope is to lose this election badly. Then maybe the majority of the party (who, I hope, are still reasonable) can once again lock the crazies in the attic, where they belong.

While Michael and I hold different political views, I find his bold frankness very refreshing, It is time to stop talikng only i terms of extremes and differences.

Romney and Ryan want to talk about the economy. BO runs from the economy and lives for ideology and petty attacks. Nothing more need be said.

@patriot
once again you illustrate the writers point with your false claims. try actually setting aside ideology for once and actually try to consider what others are saying/

re:Kent C. DeForrest

Mike Lee is a tea party guy. Does Mike make sense to you or should he be "locked in the attic"? What about Paul Ryan? Paul makes sense to me and unlike you I have listened with an open mind to Paul. There are some really bright GOP minds in congress today and we should be listening. No they don't preach wealth redistribution or communism and unlike their foes on the other side of the isle they have actually produced a budget. There are the talkers and the doers - it's not hard to tell them apart if you are actually paying attention.

Why do we want to belong to the "party"? Republicans and Democrates are the same. They spread the same emotional populist words. The Congress comprised of both "parties" have spent us into the outer limits. What is wrong with looking at the same ole and thinking these people are opportunist-nothing more nothing less. The "parties" are destroying American life as we know it. They have passed laws that have increased taxes, welfare,raided soical security and made promises that simply cannot be kept. Yet we all argue about "party ideology". Why? Neither party can fix what they have broken. Yet we keep thinking one party is better than the other. We are in financal ruin and we argue about "ideology"? Are we all afraid of desgaurding something that does not work? America needs to stop this goofy argument and worry about being Americans first. Term limits, limits on campaign spending and a return to ole fashion journalism are just a few baby step needed to turn this around.