Can something good come out of the recent shootings?

Upfront disclaimer: This thread is NOT about approval that the shootings happened, nor is it especially NOT about *who* was shot.

A day or so ago I posted the following:

I saw a Congressman interviewed on the news last night (didn't catch who it was) and he said the right things... about how we need to stop blaming, and stop being divisive, and stop playing partisan politics, yada yada yada... but my only thought was, "Dude, you people (politicians and Congress) are the ones who have been stoking this atmosphere. If it's to stop, YOU need to stop."

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Is it likely, or even possible, that something good can come out of the recent Congressional (Scalise, et al) shootings? And by good I mean that maybe our leaders and their followers will be shocked back into a sense of common good and abandon the mindless rhetoric that has been increasingly dividing our country for quite some time now.

Or, are people going to say the right things as above, make a couple well-intentioned but half-hearted empty gestures, and continue down their chosen path?

Personally, this is directed at both our leaders (Congress, Executive Branch, etc.) and their followers, but this question is focused on our leaders. Leaders give us what we want, or what they think we want, whether we know we want it or not. Our leaders, however, set the tone and the followers just mindlessly follow along.

One would think that once we get to the point that the followers are whipped up into such a frenzy that they're willing to attack and/or kill the leaders, and I'm not talking just random dissatisfaction, that said leaders would see that as a "wake-up call" and stop being such partisan putzes.

As this is the first (that I can recall) "random" attack I do not hold out much hope. I suspect that we will quickly be back to 'business as usual'. We the people will demand it, and they give us what we want (and other things while we're distracted, but that's another topic). I hate to say it, but if there's to be a change back to civility then it's going to take several more extreme incidents to truly convince them.

Am I being too cynical? I feel like I don't have much faith in humanity.

nothing will change; not for the better anyway

of course Trump could resign :applaud

Pence has to be at least a couple, three steps up compared to Trump

No. Eventually both sides will have to realise the current situation is untenable and start working together, but not for a while. Trump might help that if he causes Republicans to mellow out a bit by showing how undeliverable some of these ideas are (we live in hope, however improbable). Unfortunately, whatever benefits he might provide to moderating the Republicans are easily cancelled out by the Democrats, who are seme to be moving left now that the Clinton branch has been discredited. Depends on who they nominate in 2020, really, and where the GOP's poll numbers are at. Right now, though, it's in neither side's interests to back down, as both bases are exceptionally angry and they need every vote they can get. The Republicans will want to keep Trump's voters and the prominent Democrats know that given how unfavourable Trump's ratings are now, whoever wins the nomination in 2020 will have a good shot at the Presidency. I think the US will have to put up with another four to eight years of this.

SOS, 'twas ust another day in america, that shining ****ty on a shill.

by next week it will all be back to normal

Harbo said:

No. Eventually both sides will have to realise the current situation is untenable and start working together, but not for a while. Trump might help that if he causes Republicans to mellow out a bit by showing how undeliverable some of these ideas are (we live in hope, however improbable). Unfortunately, whatever benefits he might provide to moderating the Republicans are easily cancelled out by the Democrats, who are seme to be moving left now that the Clinton branch has been discredited. Depends on who they nominate in 2020, really, and where the GOP's poll numbers are at. Right now, though, it's in neither side's interests to back down, as both bases are exceptionally angry and they need every vote they can get. The Republicans will want to keep Trump's voters and the prominent Democrats know that given how unfavourable Trump's ratings are now, whoever wins the nomination in 2020 will have a good shot at the Presidency. I think the US will have to put up with another four to eight years of this.

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It is possible that Trump, in his own unintended and perverse way, is actually facilitating a return to decency and civility. Only time will tell, though.

Can something good come out of the shooting...yes! The democratic party will continue to decline into fascist, anarchistic, hate filled left wing nut cases.

I was going to say nothing will change, but given the trend it is apparent it will only get worse. If something were going to change it would have happened before this, it isn't like this was some shocking event that took place, it was the natural escalation of events that have been unfolding for almost a year now.