Wow.. A lot of thought provoking perspectives! I've never thought of the what the extremes of political spectrum may emphasize in terms of fundamental principles. In an ideal world, we should have both.. but in the real world, I can see how it can seem like we have to choose.
There was an article I read once that compared politics to American football. The game is played on a 120 yard long field, and is divided out equally from the center towards the ends. The article postulated that, though everyday citizens can hold extreme beliefs, those in office should play between the 40 yard lines.. meaning, they should stay within the bounds of moderation. Our leaders represent everyone irrespective of their own party. So in holding an office, esp the presidency, even if you fall to the right or left of center, shouldn't go too far extreme in order to be respectful to, and fairly represent, the entire constituency. The previous administration stepped out of these bounds and shifted national policy towards the extreme left. In response we saw the rise of the Tea Party on the far right. So current highly partisan politics may be the result of ripple effects from these exteme recent movements. Like natural laws tends to, our political climate is trying to regain equilibrium.
But I think there is a deeper problem, one that comes from knowing what to do with what we have. All government can do is ensure freedom. Once we have it, we as individuals have to know how to balance it with grace, respect, dignity, duty, honor, etc. In addition to having the courage to fight for what we believe in, we also have to have the wisdom to know when to let things be. Just because I have the freedom to say what I want, it doesn't mean I should. If I believe strongly about something, I have the freedom to address it, but how I address it is up to me. I know this sounds simplistic, but it really feels like a lot of people in the media have forgotten this. There is probably a better way to approach this, but since my response is already long, perhaps I will discuss it at another time. Thank you for this post, it was really fun to think about! :)