Keller @ Large: Partisanship More Important Than Family Or Faith?

BOSTON (CBS) - We often talk here about the polarization of American politics, our seemingly ever-increasing division into ideological groups who can't even tolerate, let alone listen to, the other side's arguments.

But I don't think I realized just how bad things have become until I saw the results of a recent study that found "people are more likely to have hostile feelings toward people of the other party than members of another race."

I'm glad that racism is fading away, if that's indeed the case. But, are you kidding me?

"People are more likely to see their party as in the right, no matter what, and the other party as wrong," says the lead author of that study. "People get more upset if they are asked to contemplate the prospect of their son or daughter marrying outside the party than outside their religion."

Listen to Jon's commentary:

Let's see if I have this straight: your son or daughter brings home the person they love and want to raise your grandchildren with, and when you learn they have a different party registration from you, you go ballistic?

You are willing to prioritize allegiance to the rhetoric and group-think of a bunch of politicians and consultants over your most important family relationships and deepest spiritual beliefs?

What are you, nuts?

Sorry, but how else to describe someone who would cling so tightly to a bunch of spin?

Political parties exist to pursue and perpetuate power, that's all. If you want to focus on partisan control of Congress and vote for candidates as part of a numbers game, that's fine.

But I think I need to be educated on how it's right for partisanship to be more important than your family and faith.

You can listen to Keller At Large on WBZ News Radio every weekday at 7:55 a.m. You can also watch Jon on WBZ-TV News.