Unity to them means "only doing what we want."
I think that applies to both ends of the political spectrum. It's the ones closer to the middle who are more likely to compromise for the common good.
There may be some truth to that.
The problem is that:
- The Democrats have such moderates that would have been willing to work with republicans. (Just look at the type of discussion that Obama had over the Affordable Care act... hours of debate in congress, allowing Republicans to have their say)
- Republicans, on the other hand, have been extremely unwilling to engage in any sort of bipartisanship. They voted as a block to reject Trump's first impeachment, they allowed the Republican Tax cuts for Millionaires (and almost passed their health care plan) on a united basis (even bypassing most of the discussion in congress that should have occurred). Even supposed moderates like Ben Sasse were quite willing to go along with the extreme partisanship when it was the republicans who were in complete control.