Most of the time, political gridlock is seen as a bad thing that prevents anything from getting done. Here's an argument for why it might be the best we can hope for.
Over the past few days since the election, we've heard lots of talk about how President Obama has "got the message" and that he is willing to work with congressional Republicans. All I can do is groan. Bipartisanship is the last thing we need right now.
Bipartisanship has been fetishized into an unquestioned good in American politics, with pundits always harkening back to the old Jefferson quote "We are all Democrats; we are all Republicans." Although finding common ground with the opposite party is usually the best approach in politics, it only works when your opponent is reasonable. That is not the case today.
Today's Republicans are not the conservatives of yesteryear. Even though I might disagree with Bob Dole or George H. W. Bush, in the end I could respect them and potentially work with them. Now, the Republican Party is dominated by ideological fanatics and the paid puppets of Wall Street. Even though the Democrats are not much better on the Wall Street front, the Tea Party Republicans represent a danger to the middle and working classes that must be opposed at all costs.
President Obama has pledged to protect the Affordable Care Act, which is a good sign. That said, his previous attempts to compromise with Republicans in the past, including a willingness to cut Social Security, make one worry. If President Obama wants to be remembered as anything other than a milquetoast, he must stand strong and protect the New Deal, even if it means an endless series of vetoes. The one good thing about this past election is that the Republicans do not have a veto proof majority.
No matter how unpopular it is, President Obama must use the veto hammer, even if it means shutting down the government.