Collective Stupidity
Hard to be confident in the future of democracy when you see figures like this:
Fifty-six percent of respondents said that they were not willing to pay more in taxes in order to reduce the deficit, and nearly as many said they were not willing for the government to provide fewer services in areas such as health care, education and defense spending.
Behind this conundrum is the unwillingness of both Dems and Reps to see themselves as one nation that requires compromise in governance. Instead we fight for the supremacy of our ideological position, while the bills mount ever higher. Stupid, just stupid.
I didn't follow your link, but as for the part you excerpted, there's a lot of room for negotiation in there. First of all, if you asked me those questions, I would not be able to give a simple answer. Health care, education and defense spending are all lumped together. Those are three huge areas that deserve attention individually.
I do not believe that holding to one's principles in any one specific area is a threat to our democratic republic. I also do not believe that major clashes over these issues in Congress are unhealthy.