This article in the NY Times is an apt description of the challenges we are facing because of our predominantly Boomer (born 1943-1960) leadership:
Washington War of Ideas Overshadows Need for Jobs – NYTimes.com
I think we are still early on in the Fourth Turning (Crisis) so this sort of bickering can still hold sway. The Boomers would still rather debate ideology than simply get things done. Contrast that with [X] leaders like Paul Ryan or Barack Obama who seem to be more focused on just coming up with a solution that will allow us to survive. I am not saying I agree with either Ryan or Obama or their proposals, but there is an interesting difference in the pragmatism you see from X’ers in leadership vs. the Boomers. The leaders mentioned in the story are Boomers (and one Silent (born 1925-1942)) who are willing to argue and debate endlessly.
BTW, if you are curious about the generational makeup of our current leadership, take a look at the American Leadership Database on the Lifecourse site. You can view all sorts of stuff under the analysis section, including the breakdown of generations of the current congress (click on it for a larger view):
