The Trouble With Compromises, President Obama

We are going to get more compromises between the Obama administration and the Republicans, I hear. Now, compromises are often an excellent idea. But they have their problems:

1. Suppose that some voters want fast rail and bridge repairs and that other voters want nothing but a jungle growing around them. A compromise on those desires might mean just one fast rail somewhere and just a few bridges repaired. Then both voter groups would end up angry: One got too little and one got too much.

2. Suppose that one party regards me as an aquarium for embryos with few rights and the other party regards me as possibly a human being (when they happen to remember me). Then what will a compromise mean to me? That I'm only an aquarium on the odd-numbered days?

3. Suppose that one party is extremely right-wing in their platform and the other party something most world would consider moderately right-wing. Then what will a compromise give those of us who are at most moderately right-wing or even centrists or left-wing (in the sense of those terms used elsewhere)?