As I remember it, it wasn't like this in the period before 2000-2003. The 2000 US Presidential election was very acrimonious; I think that died down because 9/1

As I remember it, it wasn't like this in the period before 2000-2003. The 2000 US Presidential election was very acrimonious; I think that died down because 9/11 was a unifying threat; then controversies about the war in Iraq and WMDs etc. reignited it. And this is also when the Internet became relevant to the public discourse and I think Internet social dynamics fanned a lot of the flames.