Mark Zuckerberg still has a lot to learn about politics

[Commentary] Mark Zuckerberg has an idea of how Washington works. And it's not the vision most people in Washington share.

"The cynical view is that everything is broken," he said at an event in Washington sponsored by The Atlantic. "My view is that the system is set up to avoid making catastrophic mistakes. And right now, the country is actually really divided and therefore few things should get done — except for the things people really agree on." It's odd to hear one of the country's most important digital natives offer such an endorsement of The System, considering he hails from a place where "disruption" is generally the celebrated norm. Even more striking is how Zuckerberg's loyalty to the establishment persists even as the faith of those who represent him in Congress has faltered. So why is Zuckerberg so sanguine about a system that most experts view as deeply troubled? One possible explanation is that Zuckerberg is playing coy, holding his real policy views close to his vest to avoid alienating power brokers in Washington. He cleverly danced around a direct question about his personal partisan sympathies, suggesting he understands the value of being seen as above the fray.

But Zuckerberg's naiveté may also be genuine. The Facebook founder may be an engineering and cultural visionary. But his political education is still just beginning.