These days, we have two political parties: the crazy fascists and the milquetoast moderates.
The crazy fascists run our country into the ground and until voters elect milquetoast moderates into positions of power. After we fight to get them into office, the moderates fold up into the fetal position at the slightest hint of controversy. Now the milquetoasters are about to be defeated in November and they'll probably conclude that they weren't milquetoasty enough. Tighter fetal positions will be called for. Meanwhile, the corporatist jackboots will try to financially shut down the government and waste time and taxpayer money with numerous frivolous investigations of the White House.
Our three-branch, two-party system used to work quite well when we had a liberal and conservative party. That all changed over the last 30 years when each party pursued a different strategy.
The Republicans began to walk base, talk center. They realized the futility of pursuing moderate voters because moderates don't vote. The new strategy became "fire up the base to get to 50+1". The rhetoric was to accuse the Democrats of being "out of touch" and "extreme" in order to create the appearance of centrism.
The Democrats began to talk base, walk center. Use the liberals for donations and volunteers, promise them whatever you need to, but always run to the center to try to capture the mythical centrist voters. "Bipartisanship" and "moderation" became guiding principles. The net result was to become the Republican-lite or "just like them but not quite so loopy".
The net result is that the Republicans have drifted further and further to the right, to the point now where Reagan looks liberal and W. Bush seems like a centrist. The Dems, meanwhile, have been running after them, to the point that "socialist" Obama is now to the right of Reagan on some issues.
And the Democrats can't figure out why progressives like me are so demoralized.
No doubt, if they lose as big as people are projecting, they'll conclude they weren't milquetoasty enough and the drift to the far right will continue.
The crazy fascists run our country into the ground and until voters elect milquetoast moderates into positions of power. After we fight to get them into office, the moderates fold up into the fetal position at the slightest hint of controversy. Now the milquetoasters are about to be defeated in November and they'll probably conclude that they weren't milquetoasty enough. Tighter fetal positions will be called for. Meanwhile, the corporatist jackboots will try to financially shut down the government and waste time and taxpayer money with numerous frivolous investigations of the White House.
Our three-branch, two-party system used to work quite well when we had a liberal and conservative party. That all changed over the last 30 years when each party pursued a different strategy.
The Republicans began to walk base, talk center. They realized the futility of pursuing moderate voters because moderates don't vote. The new strategy became "fire up the base to get to 50+1". The rhetoric was to accuse the Democrats of being "out of touch" and "extreme" in order to create the appearance of centrism.
The Democrats began to talk base, walk center. Use the liberals for donations and volunteers, promise them whatever you need to, but always run to the center to try to capture the mythical centrist voters. "Bipartisanship" and "moderation" became guiding principles. The net result was to become the Republican-lite or "just like them but not quite so loopy".
The net result is that the Republicans have drifted further and further to the right, to the point now where Reagan looks liberal and W. Bush seems like a centrist. The Dems, meanwhile, have been running after them, to the point that "socialist" Obama is now to the right of Reagan on some issues.
And the Democrats can't figure out why progressives like me are so demoralized.
No doubt, if they lose as big as people are projecting, they'll conclude they weren't milquetoasty enough and the drift to the far right will continue.
Atheist Forums Hall of Shame:
"The trinity can be equated to having your cake and eating it too."
... -Lucent, trying to defend the Trinity concept
"(Yahweh's) actions are good because (Yahweh) is the ultimate standard of goodness. That’s not begging the question"
... -Statler Waldorf, Christian apologist
"The trinity can be equated to having your cake and eating it too."
... -Lucent, trying to defend the Trinity concept
"(Yahweh's) actions are good because (Yahweh) is the ultimate standard of goodness. That’s not begging the question"
... -Statler Waldorf, Christian apologist