I want to thank David Kurtz for synthesizing something's been bothering me since I first noticed a difference between principle and simple peevishness. 
There's only a few things government can be used for. FIrst, you can allocate public resources and maintain things. Then you can either work to start something or to end something. Then there's a Democratic way, with studies and forums and shouting matches and eventually 50% of what was desired may come out of a committee. And then there's the Republican way, which seems to take no steps along any clearly defined path to learning or development of the topic.
Simply admitting they understand the opponent's position is impossible for one reason. They aren't here to govern, just to allocate and confuse the issue- because the constituency the RNC panders to is now perfectly, Orwellian-style, senile, maleducated, void of perspective, or 'Walking the Appalachian Trail' munching on Combos they bought with money earned from saying 'People shouldn't walk the Appalachian Trail'.
I still have a 100degree fever, so I'm done. But thanks again.