If you have been keeping you’re an eye on presidential politics in the last few weeks, you may have noticed that the dialogue on the Democratic side has devolved from a discussion of the issues into an endless fit of name calling.

This literal “he said, she said” reflects one of the most common communication problems that lead to divorce. That is, when couples first begin an argument the focus is usually squarely the issue. But as time passes, tangential arguments arise that are typically unimportant and distract from the real issue. Thus, a worthwhile argument about respecting each other’s time turns into who took out the garbage last.

One of the reasons divorce mediation is so successful is that the mediator is able to rein in these the extraneous fights and arguments. By bringing the focus back to the larger issue, the couples can more quickly and effectively resolve the problems that are preventing the creation of workable divorce and custody agreements.

If these politicians can’t get back to the issue, then a mediation session should be in their futures.