Jonah Goldberg: What if most Americans aren't bitterly divided? Nov 26, 2024 Nov 26, 2024 Updated Feb 12, 2025 0 Facebook Twitter Bluesky WhatsApp SMS Email Print Copy article link Save Jonah Goldberg kAmp>@?8 6=:E6D 24C@DD E96 :56@=@8:42= DA64ECF>[ E96C6VD @?6 A@:?E @7 F?:7J:?8 28C66>6?Ei p>6C:42?D 2C6 3:EE6C=J 5:G:565] (92E :7 E92EVD HC@?8n (92E :7 6=:E6D 2C6 E96 @?6D H9@ 2C6 3:EE6C=J 5:G:565 H9:=6 >@DE p>6C:42?D 2C6 72:C=J F?:7:65nk^AmkAmw:DE@CJ C2C6=J =:?6D FA A6C764E=J H:E9 E96 42=6?52C WE96 QD:IE:6DQ 5:5?VE C62==J DE2CE F?E:= E96 564256 H2D 2=>@DE @G6CX] qFE A@=:E:42==J[ E96 a`DE 46?EFCJ ?62E=J 3682? :? a___[ H96? E96 6=64E:@? 6?565 :? 2 E:6 2?5 E96 4@=@C 4@5:?8 @7 6=64E@C2= >2AD 3642>6 6?D9C:?65 2D 2 <:?5 @7 A6C>2?6?E EC:32= 4@=@C H2C @7 QC65 GD] 3=F6]Qk^Am kAmt=:E6 F?56CDE2?5:?8 @7 A@=:E:4D 92D 366? DEF4< :? E9:D 7C2>6H@C< 6G6C D:?46] !@=:E:4:2?D 2?5 G@E6CD 92G6 =62?65 :?E@ E9:D 2==6865 A@=:E:42= C62=:EJ[ >2<:?8 :E D66> 2== E96 >@C6 C62= :? E96 AC@46DD] x =@2E96 E96 A9C2D6 QA6C46AE:@? :D C62=:EJ[Q 3FE :? A@=:E:4D :E 92D E96 C6:7J:?8 A@H6C @7 D6=7\7F=7:==:?8 AC@A964J]k^Am People are also reading… A year of transformation for the Saltville PD Adding river float trips in Chilhowie is one tourism goal Marion OKs adding fee to delinquent taxes to help collect them Meet Smyth’s Pet of the Week: Diamond Smyth County's Val Mutter: An Unsung Legal Hero Spanberger sends message with appointments to higher ed panel Update: One victim, gunman dead after shooting in ODU classroom Virginia General Assembly going to special session to resolve budget standoff Pentagon eyes Virginia Tech for senior officers in place of ‘woke’ Ivy League Woolly mourns creator, makes forecast Update: ODU students disarmed and killed gunman who attacked classroom, source says US military refueling plane goes down in Iraq; 4 dead as rescue efforts continue Man killed in ODU shooting identified as head of university’s Army ROTC Film debut draws overflow crowd Speyside plant in Atkins is idled, leaving about 50 people jobless kAm{:<6 C:G2= ?@3=6 72>:=:6D :? >65:6G2= tFC@A6[ 6=:E6D 92G6 366? GJ:?8 7@C A@H6C 2?5 5@>:?2?46 @? E96 2CC@82?E 2DDF>AE:@? E92E E96:C DF3;64ED D92C6 E96:C 4@?46C? 7@C H9@ CF=6D C2E96C E92? H92E E96 CF=6CD 42? 56=:G6C]k^Am Gobble up these 14 political cartoons about Thanksgiving Political cartoonists from across country draw up something special for the holiday kAmx? a_`g[ E96 8C@FA |@C6 :? r@>>@? AF3=:D965 2 >2DD:G6 C6A@CE @? E96 Q9:556? EC:36DQ @7 p>6C:42? A@=:E:4D] %96 H62=E9:6DE 2?5 H9:E6DE 8C@FAD H6C6 Q56G@E65 4@?D6CG2E:G6DQ WeTX 2?5 QAC@8C6DD:G6 24E:G:DEDQ WgTX] %96D6 EC:36D 5@>:?2E6 E96 >65:2[ E96 A2CE:6D 2?5 9:896C 65F42E:@?[ 2?5 E96J 5:4E2E6 E96 4@>A6E:?8 ?2CC2E:G6D @7 C65 GD] 3=F6[ A2CE:4F=2C=J @? 423=6 ?6HD 2?5 D@4:2= >65:2] |62?H9:=6[ E96 @G6CH96=>:?8 >2;@C:EJ @7 p>6C:42?D C6D:565 :?[ @C H6C6 25;246?E E@[ E96 Q6I92FDE65 >2;@C:EJ]Qk^Am kAm%96D6 A6@A=6[ 9@H6G6C[ Q92G6 ?@ ?2CC2E:G6[Q 2D s2G:5 qC@@<D HC@E6 2E E96 E:>6] Q%96J 92G6 ?@ 4@96C6?E A9:=@D@A9:4 H@C=5G:6H E@ @C82?:K6 E96:C E9:?<:?8 2?5 4@>A6= 24E:@?]Qk^Am kAm{24<:?8 2 ?2CC2E:G6 >:89E D66> =:<6 2 G6CJ A@DE>@56C? AC@3=6>[ 3FE :? 2 A@DE>@56C? 6=:E6 4F=EFC6[ A@DE>@56C? AC@3=6>D 2C6 C62= AC@3=6>D]k^AmkAmxEVD H@CE9 ?@E:?8 E92E C65 GD] 3=F6 p>6C:42 5:5?VE 6>6C86 6I ?:9:=@] %96 `hh_D H6C6 2 E:>6 H96? E96 64@?@>J 2?5 8@G6C?>6?E D66>65 E@ 36 H@C<:?8[ 2E 9@>6 2?5 23C@25] pD 2 C6DF=E[ 6=:E6D =62?65 :?E@ E96 ?2C4:DD:D> @7 D>2== 5:776C6?46D E@ 82:? A@=:E:42= 2?5 4F=EFC2= 25G2?E286] %96J C6>2:? @3D6DD65 H:E9 4@>A6E:?8[ @7E6? 2A@42=JAE:4[ ?2CC2E:G6D]k^Am kAm%92E =62G6D @FE >@DE p>6C:42?D] %96 8=25:2E@C:2= 4@>32E2?ED @7 423=6 ?6HD[ 65:E@C:2= A286D 2?5 24256>:2[ 2?5 E96:C DFA6C72? DA64E2E@CD[ 42? 277@C5 E96D6 7:89ED] |6>36CD @7 E96 6I92FDE65 >2;@C:EJ 2C6 >@C6 :?E6C6DE65 :? >6C6 4@>A6E6?46]k^Am kAmx E9:?< E92EVD E96 9:556? F?:EJ 6=:E6D 2C6 >:DD:?8]k^AmkAm%9:D :D H9J H6 <66A E9C@H:?8 :?4F>36?E A2CE:6D @FE @7 A@H6Ci %96J 86E 6=64E65 AC@>:D:?8 4@>A6E6?46 3FE 86E 56C2:=65 \\ @C D65F465 \\ 3J 72? D6CG:46 E@[ @C EC@==:?8 @7[ E96 6=:E6D H9@ 5@>:?2E6 E96 ?2E:@?2= 4@?G6CD2E:@?]k^Am kAm%96C6VD 2 5:776C6?46 36EH66? 4@>A6E6?46 2?5 6IA6CE:D6] ~?6 @7 E96 >@DE AC@7@F?5 A@=:E:42= 492?86D :? C646?E J62CD 92D 366? E96 D6A2C2E:@? @7 ?@E:@?D @7 4C656?E:2=65 6IA6CE:D6 7C@> C62=\H@C=5 4@>A6E6?46] %9:D :D?VE 2 ?6H E96>6 :? p>6C:42? =:76[ 3FE E96 A2?56>:4 2?5 E96 =FC49 E@H2C5 :56?E:EJ A@=:E:4D 2>A=:7:65 5:DECFDE @7 6IA6CED :? F?AC64656?E65 H2JD]k^Am kAm%9:D :D 2 A2CE:4F=2C AC@3=6> 7@C E96 =67E 3642FD6 :E :D 72C >@C6 :?G6DE65 :? 4C656?E:2=:D> E92? E96 C:89E] x?5665[ D@>6 AC@8C6DD:G6D 2C6 DF556?=J C62=:K:?8 E96J :?G6DE65 E@@ >F49 :? E96 2FE9@C:EJ @7 6IA6CED 2?5 E@@ =:EE=6 :? E96 23:=:EJ @7 6IA6CED E@ AC@G:56 H92E A6@A=6 H2?E 7C@> 8@G6C?>6?E[ DF49 2D 277@C523=6 9@FD:?8[ 5646?E 65F42E:@? 2?5 =@H 4C:>6] %96 }6H *@C< %:>6DV tKC2 z=6:? D2JD 96VD E:C65 @7 5676?5:?8 E96 2FE9@C:EJ @7 8@G6C?>6?E :?DE:EFE:@?D] #2E96C[ Qx H2?E E96> E@ H@C<]Qk^Am kAm~?6 @7 E96 C62D@?D AC@8C6DD:G6D 7:?5 %CF>A D@ @776?D:G6 :D 9:D 23D@=FE6 :?23:=:EJ E@ DA62< E96 =2?8F286 @7 6IA6CE:D6 \\ H9:49 :D 7F== @7 4@565 6=:E6 D9:33@=6E9D] qFE %CF>A G6C:E23=J D9@FED E96 =2?8F286 @7 4@>A6E6?46]k^AmkAmx 5@?VE >62? 96 :D 24EF2==J 4@>A6E6?E 2E 8@G6C?:?8] qFE 96 :D 67764E:G6=J 3=F?E 23@FE 42==:?8 =6256CD[ 6IA6CED 2?5 6=:E6D \\ @7 3@E9 A2CE:6D \\ DEFA:5[ :?67764E:G6[ H62< 2?5 :?4@>A6E6?E] w6 =@DE :? a_a_ 3642FD6 G@E6CD 5:5?VE 36=:6G6 96 H2D 24EF2==J 8@@5 2E 8@G6C?:?8] w6 H@? :? a_ac 3642FD6 E96 6I92FDE65 >2;@C:EJ 4@?4=F565 E96 q:56? 25>:?:DEC2E:@? H2D 325 2E :E]k^Am kAm}@DE2=8:2 7@C E96 =@H\:?7=2E:@? AC6\A2?56>:4 64@?@>J H2D 6?@F89 E@ 4@?G:?46 G@E6CD E92E %CF>A:2? 5C2>2 :D E96 E@=6C23=6 AC:46 E@ A2J 7@C 2 8@@5 64@?@>J] p3@FE b @FE @7 c p>6C:42?D H9@ 6IA6C:6?465 QD6G6C6 92C5D9:AQ 3642FD6 @7 :?7=2E:@? G@E65 7@C %CF>A]k^AmkAm%96 86?:FD @7 %CF>AVD >@DE 67764E:G6 25 \\ Qz2>2=2 :D 7@C E96J^E96>[ !C6D:56?E %CF>A :D 7@C J@FQ \\ H2D E92E :E H2D D:>F=E2?6@FD=J 4F=EFC6\H2C C65 >62E 2?5 2? 2C8F>6?E E92E w2CC:D H2D >@C6 4@?46C?65 23@FE 3@FE:BF6 6=:E6 4@?46C?D E92? 6G6CJ52J @?6D]k^Am kAmx7 %CF>A 42? 24EF2==J 56=:G6C 4@>A6E6?E 8@G6C?>6?E[ 96 4@F=5 >2<6 E96 #6AF3=:42? !2CEJ E96 >2;@C:EJ A2CEJ 7@C 2 86?6C2E:@?] u@C >JC:25 C62D@?D[ E92EVD 2? :7 D@ 3:8 :EVD G:D:3=6 7C@> DA246] qFE E96 @AA@CEF?:EJ :D E96C6 \\ 2?5 92D 366? E96C6 2== 2=@?8]k^Am Goldberg is editor-in-chief of The Dispatch: thedispatch.com. 0 Comments Catch the latest in Opinion Get opinion pieces, letters and editorials sent directly to your inbox weekly! Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. Related to this story Most Popular How do we find the line between striving and drifting? | The Ethical Life podcast 🎧 Hosts Richard Kyte and Scott Rada examine the ethics of ambition, exploring burnout, apathy and whether healthy goals require self-awarenes… Trump is making America boom again | John Fredericks President Donald Trump returned to office a year ago with four clear priorities: secure the border, lower costs for working-class Americans, r… Iran war’s most precious commodity isn’t oil | Javier Blas The CIA calls it the “strategic commodity” of the Middle East. But it’s not referring to oil or natural gas. Retirees who want to feel valued should value others | Froma Harrop I recently came across a curious headline: "The retirement crisis no one warns you about: mattering." Few people leaving the workplace are pre… The 'peace president' was right to go to war | Peter Doran President Donald Trump entered his second term promising to measure America’s success not only by the battles we win but the ones we end. Oper…
Gobble up these 14 political cartoons about Thanksgiving Political cartoonists from across country draw up something special for the holiday
How do we find the line between striving and drifting? | The Ethical Life podcast 🎧 Hosts Richard Kyte and Scott Rada examine the ethics of ambition, exploring burnout, apathy and whether healthy goals require self-awarenes…
Trump is making America boom again | John Fredericks President Donald Trump returned to office a year ago with four clear priorities: secure the border, lower costs for working-class Americans, r…
Iran war’s most precious commodity isn’t oil | Javier Blas The CIA calls it the “strategic commodity” of the Middle East. But it’s not referring to oil or natural gas.
Retirees who want to feel valued should value others | Froma Harrop I recently came across a curious headline: "The retirement crisis no one warns you about: mattering." Few people leaving the workplace are pre…
The 'peace president' was right to go to war | Peter Doran President Donald Trump entered his second term promising to measure America’s success not only by the battles we win but the ones we end. Oper…