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Old 10-09-2009, 05:04 PM
ASM ASM started this thread
 
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As well as the Conservative (Tory) party here which is right wing, there are two main parties considered left wing - Labour and Liberal Democrat.

So, I have been thinking lately of how some of the Democrat states/counties in America would probably be more like Labour territory and some would be more like Lib-Dem territory if there was a UK-style system in the US. Labour being the traditional industrial/workers' party which is socialist/social democratic, and Lib-Dem being liberal democratic as the name suggests.

Under this system of three main parties, no doubt almost every state would have a Republican majority, as the Democrat vote would be split between Labour and Lib-Dem. Causing a Republican government in almost every election, especially as there's more GOP support in US, than Tory support in UK.

I'm still quite interested in how there would still be some states and many counties where either of the two democratic parties would win, those with a large Democratic majority in real life. No doubt Labour would come out on top in rust belt areas and many larger cities, just as they would in traditional industrial regions and many larger cities in the UK. To me, the lifestyle of Labour-supporting areas in the UK does not feel very liberal at all.

Lib-Dem in the UK come out in the majority often in rural areas of touristic interest, as well as many towns and cities (or parts of larger cities) of touristic interest. Examples are (parts of) London, Oxford, Cambridge, Bath, York and (parts of) Edinburgh; Cornwall, Mid-Wales, Scottish Highlands. Areas renowned as touristic rather than industrial.

Similarly my guesses for the US, then, would include: SF Bay Area, parts of LA metro, Seattle, Washington DC, probably Manhattan, much of New England and the Upper Midwest, Hawaii, parts of Florida, and of course many of the college towns.

Any more thoughts on this?
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Old 10-11-2009, 12:56 PM
 
Location: Huntington Beach, CA
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I would guess that our third party would be closer to the Libertarians (most americans have libertarian view points, its just that Libertarian Politicians (uppercase "L") are generally nuts. The green movement in this country just isn't strong enough.

That being said, The Libertarian party would probably split the Republican vote, while drawing in some centrist Indies and Democrats, which would pretty much have the Dems in Control,
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Old 10-11-2009, 11:19 PM
 
Location: US Empire, Pac NW
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Originally Posted by DinsdalePirahna View Post
I would guess that our third party would be closer to the Libertarians (most americans have libertarian view points, its just that Libertarian Politicians (uppercase "L") are generally nuts. The green movement in this country just isn't strong enough.

That being said, The Libertarian party would probably split the Republican vote, while drawing in some centrist Indies and Democrats, which would pretty much have the Dems in Control,
I agree. The political spheres in the USA are so diverse it is extraordinary. I also think it is more right-leaning than most British politics, so there really isn't a good analog in American culture.

To reconsider US politics as a three party system, I would split the middle ground out as a Centrist party, focusing on lower taxes, smaller government, but also more "liberal" social stances where it doesn't fit with economics. Blue Dog Democrats and more moderate Republicans would fit here.

The rest of the USA would be the right wing Republicans, focusing on Big Brother and deferential to corporations and much tighter police controls, with Teddy Roosevelt "big stickism", and throw in Christian oriented government edicts, and the left wing Democrats, who would raise taxes and fund social programs as well as push green technologies while being very PC.
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Old 10-11-2009, 11:50 PM
 
Location: 30-40°N 90-100°W
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Going by your analogy my guess would be "Liberal Democrat" would do best in the wealthier parts of New England. Maybe the "Gold Coast" of Connecticut.

Also I'd say, going by polls and my experience, the US has four or five kinds of groupings. Only two of which get much play here.

US Conservative - They emphasize social conservatism, low taxes, free markets, and peace through military strength. (I added the modifier US to this and liberal as it's different than many forms of conservatism in the world)

US Liberal - Social liberalism/progressivism, progressive taxation ("soak the rich", sort-of), regulating markets (but not true Socialism or Social Democracy), and peace through international diplomacy.

Libertarian - A government that governs least, general social liberalism and unrestrained capitalism. Some tendencies to isolationism or at least non-interventionism.

"Communitarian" - Social conservatism, at least of a kind, coupled with a skepticism of Capitalism and a belief in the social safety net. A strong connection to communities, churches, and unions rather than academia or big-business. The European equivalent might be "Christian Democracy." This element of American politics is almost completely ignored by both sides, hence I'm writing more about it to explain it, but you might see some of it in rural Pennsylvania and the South. Its members tend to be elderly Democrats and poorer people who are deeply religious. Also has some tendency to isolationism.

Ambivalent - Ambivalents have a mix of all of the above or dislike a mix of all of the above or be just uncertain. At times they want things that are basically contradictory. For example taxes lower for all, reduced deficits, and increased government social spending all at once. In rare cases they emphasize downright peculiar things like eliminating the penny, setting up mining operations on the Moon, or withdrawing from NATO. They're less significant because many of them don't vote.
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Old 10-12-2009, 08:16 AM
 
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The UK's Liberal Democrats, in the USA, would attract the upper-middle class, college-educated white liberals and libertarians from the cities and the coasts that form such an important part of the modern-day Democratic coalition, that the Conservatives would dominate elections again and again. Labour would be almost exclusively inner-city, poor, working-class, immigrant, and minority.
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