Originally Posted by rubicon

There are some very sound opinions so far. Please let me offer another.

I believe the problem does not only lie in the % of Republicans/Democrats in any given area but also in how the "bell curve" has changed.

Its use to be that each party had a mix of conservative and liberals Democratic conservatives and Republican liberals

Somehow unfortunately the two parties began to drift to one side. it explains why independents have gained ground.

Having a very liberal Democratic party or a very conservative Republican party does us all so much harm

It makes sense to have a good mix. I belongd to an organization that was dying because it catered to just guys. When I was elected President I recruited many women, etc. the organization grew and thrived because it was drawing a cross section of the populace.

If you are paying attention you can see some hint of a change as many moderate conservative Democrats are pulling away from Obama. I believe it also explains why Romney is careful not to be stuck with too conservative a label. finally with most of us a conservative/liberal label does not define all aspects of our lives as a person may lean more conservative for this issue but more liberal for another