Democrats are the New Republicans.
The party of Barry Goldwater alive and well in a new crop of centrist Democrats being elected all over the nation. Even far-left democrats are pitching in in the effort to get these moderates elected, making strange bedfellows. Gays and Lesbians have given hundreds--if not thousands--in order to assist in unseating Rick Santorum. Is this because his opponent pledges to push through a marriage equality bill? Well, actually, Bob Casey Jr. is pro-life and anti-marriage equality. This is generally a two-strike profile for gays. However, the money keeps rolling in. Why?
There are two factors. The disembowelment of the Republican party facilitated by its complete and total lack of stances on any sort of policy, and a return to the grassroots nature of the Democratic party. Democrats are arguing that they run a government more effectively and efficiently than Republicans because of their fiscal responsibility, conservation and focus on policy rather than social issues. Democrats pledge they are better because they believe in less government intervention in your life, a strong foreign policy and a good values structure.
What?
The Democratic Party of today has become the Republican Party of the middle of the century.
Generally the trend is that what is liberal yesterday becomes conservative today. However, apparently, the trend works the other way too.
Why is this happening?
The Republican Party has compeltely lost its way. The party that once stood for a great many things very strongly, now only stands for one thing: hold on to the Evangelicals for dear life. The group that gave the Republican party its first big boost and caused a huge shift in policy in 1980 is now the root cause of the disintigration of that party. The Evangelicals provided a good ride for a long time for the Republicans, just as the Unions did for the Democrats before 1980. However, along that ride, the Republican party let the Evangelicals strip the party of all of its traditional stances on economics, foriegn policy, domestic issues, and conservatism in general. Then in the blink of an eye, the ride is over, and there is nothing left but a trail of broken pieces and parts that will be impossible to fix.
The once party of Lincoln and the ERA, the party of Teddy Roosaveldt and Eisenhower, has become the party of Karl Rove and Rush Limbaugh. Of Terry Shaivo and Marriage Amendments. In an effort to take advantage of their single-issue voters, the Republicans have completely lost their base.
And that base is moving quickly to the other side.
Moderate voters will cling to the moderate party, and strangely the moderate party, the more traditionally conservative party, is the party of Draft Dodging, San Francisco Liberals, Massachussetts Activist Judiciary, I didn't inhale it's the economy stupid I did not have sex with that woman Democrats. The Democrats have it together this election, and their all pulling together--from the farthest left reaches right on into their pro-life, anti-gay marriage center--all for one purpose. This election.
Unfortunately, the Democrats are going to give themselves an even tougher '08 because of this. The Democrats' base really IS the marriage-equality, pro-choice, anti-war, anti-death penalty, pro-universal-health-care crowd. If over the next two years, a Democratically controlled legislature fails to catre to this crowd as well as the moderates who elected them, then they will be ousted fast. And if they do catre to this crowd, the moderates who elected them may switch back to the Republican party right quick. There is a lot on the precipice here.
We shall see how this all plays out. As for me? I'm still Independent. I think both partys are just full of politicians!