Brian , I think the main difference between US and UK (European) politics/thinking is that Europe went through a period known as the ' enlightenment'
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Enlightenment, America seems to have missed this and still holds to many of the tenants of Puritanism , in the US everything is either good or evil , or like the old cowboy movies the good guy is the white hat and the baddies wears the black hat , many Americans I have met are unable to compromise and meet on the middle ground about anything , our current incumbant in the White House is a prime example .