Since the early 20th century, American politics has become an echo rather than a choice--parties zealous in their distinct rhetoric yet in reality just two sides of the same big-government coin. Once a reliable baseline for civic political choice, the dichotomy instead has come to serve as a longstanding, integral feature of the "Civic Religion." Given this unfortunate transformation, which has helped color and shape every interpretation of personalities and events, we must reevaluate our consumption of information.