Not really. It’s more like the situation we’ve just experienced with the raising the debt ceiling. They’ve probably got a compromise hammered out on day 1 and the rest was political posturing (as they’re basically going to do as much as they can for both agendas and maybe try to argue the other side down even though both sides are stubborn as hell). If anything, its the media in general that’s whipping up all the fear and loathing more than anything else. Everybody’s got a horse they’re betting on, and they have no problem with trying to tilt the odds in their favor. Even if it means resorting to kindergarten style bickering in the process.
Of course horse races are a pretty apt metaphor for politics in general where no matter which horse you bet on, they’re all running down the same track towards the same goal while the spectators gamble with their ideals and beliefs, but are really just there for the spectacle of the competition.
