If I were inclined to ascribe a secret conspiracy behind everything political, I would say it was planned as a participatory false choice exercise to create a veneer of legitimacy for someone's dark machinations. Unfortunately, I think the result is due to the basic effects of public choice economics and the nature of politics turning every dispute into a zero-sum game. This has divided society into two squabbling factions, and it will remain so until we stop pretending politics is a solution to any of these issues. Until then, each party will feel injured at every loss, and will be spurred on to be more fiercely combative for the next round.