Americans make a big mistake.
They don't try to understand the opposition. They just say the other guy is wrong, and have at it.
Republicans don't try to understand Democrats, although Democrats find it easier to understand the Rs.
We didn't try to understand the Iraqis, the Afghanis, the Vietnamese and consequently we got the shit kicked out of us. Bush's "they just hate freedom" is a classic example of not figuring out what the opposition is about. Republicans think that understanding equals agreeing with.
Blind stupid. And "Common sense" is just being able to see things from another point of view.