What happened to compromise?

It's hard to look at the United States of America in modern times and say it's a land of compromise.  Politics are more partisan than ever, and the advertising market shows.  Attacking the opposing party is now nearly as influential, if not more, than actually praising your own.  The media is dominated by far-leftists, far-rightists, and nay in between.

When you look at our roots, the exact opposite shows.  The Constitution itself already bounces the concept of compromise with its federalist message: powers are shared between the states and the national government.  Bicameral Congress.  Virtually everything written in it is focused on the idea of unity between conflicting ideals.

The Great Compromise (or, what-say-you, the Connecticut Compromise) was a division of power between the small states and large states.  Small states had the New Jersey Plan, in which all states would have a fixed number of representatives.  Large states had the Virginia Plan, in which all states would have a number of representatives proportional to the population.  'Lo and behold, out came The Great Compromise, splitting Congress into the House of Representatives (large-state plan) and the Senate (small-state plan), with division of powers amongst all involved.

Washington, in his Farewell Address, designated the United States to avoid two things.  One, crazy foreign entanglement (so much for that).  Two, partisan political parties.  There's not much more contrast you can get with that.  James Madison, in his Federalist #10 paper, suggested the same: avoid factions with conflicting interests.

Run forward a little.  During the Civil War, when the nation tore itself apart over what really boiled down to the economic divisions of slavery.  During the Reconstruction period, the nation managed to dish out the Thirteenth, Fourteenth, and Fifteenth Amendments, which were forced upon the South but nevertheless brought them into the manufacturing age.  FDR brought the nation through a crippling Depression and a World War without much political opposition at all.  And really, it was rare for any U.S. President to be seriously blocked by the opposite party once in office.

Not anymore.

The Obama Administration suffered extreme roadblocks with Republican refusal to compromise.  Every issue, running from health care to tax rates, was met with serious opposition.

So, what happened to compromise?

OH NO SCALE: Oh no!