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Sunday, January 23, 2011

MIXED SEATING AT THE STATE OF THE UNION ADDRESS.

THE QUEEN'S SPEECH:


DURING THE ANNUAL QUEEN'S SPEECH, A PRESENTATION OF HER ELECTED GOVERNMENT'S POLICY PROGRAM, MEMBERS FROM OPPOSING POLITICAL PARTIES DISPLAY AN APPEARANCE OF COLLEGIALITY.  THIS PROVIDES THE GENERAL PUBLIC WITH AN IMPRESSION OF ELEMENTS OF AMICABILITY AMONGST ELECTED MEMBERS OF THE HOUSE OF COMMONS (THE ELECTED BODY IN THE BRITISH BODY POLITIC).  THIS IMPLIES THAT GOVERNMENT AND OPPOSITION ARE CAPABLE OF WORKING TOGETHER, AND THUS, WHEN THE BEST INTERESTS OF THE STATE ARE IN QUESTION, IT MAY BE POSSIBLE FOR OPPOSING PARTIES TO ADVANCE STATE INTERESTS AT THE EXPENSE OF CHOICES FOR POLITICAL ADVANCEMENT.  WHETHER REAL OR NOT, SUCH BEHAVIOUR MAY, AT LEAST, PROVIDE AN UNCONSCIOUS FORCE FOR COOPERATION. 


PRESIDENT'S STATE OF THE UNION ADDRESS:
EVEN IF MERELY BASED ON AN APPEARANCE OF COLLEGIALITY, MEMBERS OF OPPOSING PARTIES COULD DERIVE BENEFITS BY SITTING TOGETHER; BENEFITS SUCH AS THOSE PROPOSED ABOVE (DURING THE QUEEN'S SPEECH).
MORE SPECIFICALLY, MIXED SEATING MAY WELL SUPPRESS THE POSSIBILITY OF UNCIVIL HECKLING COMMENTS (SUCH AS THE "YOU LIE" EXCLAMATION IN 2010).  AFTER ALL, THIS REPRESENTATIVE'S EXCLAMATION LED TO A VERY LONG AND NEGATIVE SOAP OPERA, ON CAPITOL HILL, AMONG THE AMERICAN PEOPLE, AND IN THE MEDIA.


AT THE VERY LEAST MIXED SEATING IS A ZERO SUM GAME WITH A RETURN TO POLITICS AS USUAL, POST ADDRESS.  BUT, BETTER STILL, BY RESULTING IN POSSIBLE GROWTH IN PERSONAL RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN MEMBERS OF OPPOSING PARTIES, IT MAY LEAD TO MORE CONTACT ACROSS THE AISLE AND THEREFORE TO THE POSSIBILITY OF PARTIES INCREASING BIPARTISANSHIP WHEN IT BENEFITS THE COUNTRY; AND, THIS MAYBE EVEN   
AT THE EXPENSE OF POLITICAL CHOICES.


BEING REALISTIC:
EVEN IF AN INCREASE IN BIPARTISANSHIP ON CAPITOL HILL IS POSSIBLE, ESPECIALLY IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, IT WILL BE VERY LIMITED.  FOR, IF ALL POLITICS ARE LOCAL AND ARE ELECTION FUNDING DEPENDENT, THEN BIPARTISANSHIP WILL ONLY EXIST UNDER THE FOLLOWING CONDITIONS: WHEN LOCAL JOBS AND INTEREST GROUPS (LOBBYISTS) ARE SATISFIED BY HOW THEIR MEMBERS CAST THEIR VOTES.