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An interesting poli sci article/theory on why the two political parties in the U.S. are becoming more extreme and partisan compared to the 50's and 60's. The conclusion of the article states:
Quote:
Fortunately, however, this system has a built-in mechanism for correction that we see throughout America’s political history: one party or another will invariably become so pure, and so “sorted,” that it can no longer win national elections. This happened to the Federalists in 1800 and to the Democrats in 1860. Both became regional powers (Federalists in New England and Democrats in the South) and were unable to win national elections until they either disappeared (the Federalists) or completely reformed (the Democrats).
At least twice in our history, then, the ideological purity demanded by a sorted electorate has destroyed a great party. It may very well be happening again.
It seems to be that the Republican party is definitely becoming more and more extreme since the 90's and I just wonder how long it will take before a major reorganization will change the party.
An interesting poli sci article/theory on why the two political parties in the U.S. are becoming more extreme and partisan compared to the 50's and 60's. The conclusion of the article states:
It seems to be that the Republican party is definitely becoming more and more extreme since the 90's and I just wonder how long it will take before a major reorganization will change the party.
The two major parties have compromised us into a $17 trillion debt.
What good is unity if it leads to the same end?
One day the free money will go away.
When that day comes, I hope there is still an uncompromising ideologically pure alternative to the Democrats and Republicans.
"Extremism" is really just a lazy person's catch-all that often becomes devoid of meaning under scrutiny. Is it "extremism" to spend $1 million on blackberry phones to get people to quit smoking? Extremism to spend $600,000 in order to boost "Facebook likes" at the State Dept? Or is it extremism to oppose such spending? If anything those who support such spending are the extremists, but really that word is just not a useful descriptor.
The whole "extremist" meme is just a high brow version of name-calling used by people who want to say something that sounds intelligent, but find themselves lacking in ability to debate ideas and policies.
An interesting poli sci article/theory on why the two political parties in the U.S. are becoming more extreme and partisan compared to the 50's and 60's. The conclusion of the article states:
It seems to be that the Republican party is definitely becoming more and more extreme since the 90's and I just wonder how long it will take before a major reorganization will change the party.
As I keep saying before, there will come a time, pretty soon too, when the GOP will confine itself to the most racist, backwards, and bigoted corners of the Old Confederacy
As I keep saying before, there will come a time, pretty soon too, when the GOP will confine itself to the most racist, backwards, and bigoted corners of the Old Confederacy
The race card?
Didn't take long for you to run out of original thought.
An interesting poli sci article/theory on why the two political parties in the U.S. are becoming more extreme and partisan compared to the 50's and 60's. The conclusion of the article states:
It seems to be that the Republican party is definitely becoming more and more extreme since the 90's and I just wonder how long it will take before a major reorganization will change the party.
The main thing driving Republican extremism and moves for "purity" is the gerrymandered districts. Over the last 10-20 years Republicans in the state legislatures have used computers to craft long snaking districts which geographically make no sense at all but which deliver districts which are 70%,80%, or even some times 90% Republicans. With this gerrymandering if the Republicans only get 50% of the total vote they will get 2/3rds of the seats but the downside, besides the fact that it subverts democracy itself, is that since the general election is now meaningless in gerrymandered districts (we all know which party will win in an 80-20 district) so the only contest is the primary and people win primary contests by being as extreme as possible.
Get ride of gerrymandering and you'll end the self destructive extremism of the Republican Party as every politician in the party suddenly becomes more moderate in order to reflect the moderation of their new ungerrymandered home district.
As I keep saying before, there will come a time, pretty soon too, when the GOP will confine itself to the most racist, backwards, and bigoted corners of the Old Confederacy
Yep, they're going to be a southern based regional party with outposts in the rural west and that's pretty much it. They can forget winning national elections. I find this sad because the country really does need at least two viable political parties.
^^^Never fear. I'm sure the Democrats will divide as well. There is a strong 'social liberal but fiscal conservative' wing that has found it difficult to belong to either party but which sticks by the Democrats because the GOP is racing farther to the right on social issues.
If the GOP shrinks, the vacuum will be filled by this breakaway wing of the Democrats.
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