Yes, there's Manichean tribalism in the US, but it's all too easy to dismiss both sides then as crazy, and to embrace the mythical "center." If both sides are crazy, the center must be the best as the only rational compromise, right? Except that that's wrong for the reason I state in the article: the center is determined by the boldest of the two extremes, which drags the opposing party in its direction (rightward).