Headline a bit deceptive. The "civil war" content is right at the end of the interview, in response to what was intended as a light-hearted question.<p><i>We could be drifting toward civil war. If the political process stops working, it will result in a civil war, as it has resulted in a civil war thousands of times over the course of centuries. And our political process is not working very well at this time.</i><p>Brinksmanship is a dangerous game, and Obama seems keen on playing it. In this particular instance, the "shutdown" was a matter of Obama's "all or nothing" strategy (facilitated by Reid et al), refusing to fund the government if everyone were allowed the same healthcare-compliance extensions which the well-connected received. In general, the "Left" is adamant about deep control of all social/political/economic issues, and the "Right" is adamant about individual liberty to do as one sees fit; this is becoming brinksmanship as each side struggles to get their way, and a distressing number are concluding that this system is about to stop working the way James predicts.