Polarization has only gotten worse, especially in the Trump era.
A lot of the antipathy directed towards others in the political domain is essentially rooted in tribalism, the strong loyalty an individual has towards a social group, or in this case, a political party or movement.
Andrew Heaton, a comedian and host of “The Political Orphanage,” believes that this is just the way it’s always been.
“People are very, very tribal. It is a deeply, deeply inset part of our fabric, and it can be positive in the sense that it compels us to cooperate with people, to have a sense of community and belonging. Those are all good things,” Heaton explains. “So much of tribalism, particularly in politics, where we are right now is ‘I’m gonna love my team because I hate your team. I hate your team and I’m motivated to get up in the morning and fight your team.’ And I think that’s very unproductive.”
Heaton went on to say that, in the hypothetical situation, you ask someone why they root for the Washington Nationals, “people will stab you.”
Catch the full conversation with Andrew Heaton on “Hashing it Out” on Friday, Feb. 28th.
“Hashing it Out” is a podcast hosted by Siraj Hashmi, Washington Examiner’s commentary video editor and writer. Each episode includes a political guest to offer historical context of the news and politics of the day and insight into how we got to where we are. If you want to find the deeper meaning behind current events, then “Hashing it Out” is the podcast for you.