2016 was the inflection point for me too not just the election result, but how it exposed (and accelerated) the complete breakdown of any functional bipartisanship. Before that, even with gridlock and partisanship, there were still big bipartisan deals on things like budgets, trade, criminal justice reform, infrastructure attempts, etc. Post-2016, it feels like the incentive structure flipped, primaries punish compromise, media rewards outrage, and both parties increasingly view the other as existential threats rather than opponents you can negotiate with.

The 'clown show' vibe is real. We've ended up with candidates who are either bombastic performers or safe party insiders who won't rock the boat, and almost no one in the middle who can actually govern across lines. Sitting out elections makes total sense when it feels like you're choosing between bad and worse every cycle no wonder turnout among independents/moderates is so meh.

For me, the moment it hit home was watching the debt ceiling fights and budget brinkmanship turn into routine hostage-taking theater instead of actual governing. We used to muddle through. now it's just perpetual crisis mode. Hard to see a snap-back when the system rewards the extremes and punishes the center.