Re: Let's Have Two Political Forums
Both wings claim to want their party to be a Big Tent. The problem is that everyone wants everyone else in their tent to be just like them. The Liberals want absolute freedom of choice in all things for all people, assuming of course that the choices agree with theirs. The Conservatives demand a Reaganesque criteria of credentials that would in fact bar Reagan from the party.
History shows that while 3rd parties don't last in American politics, parties themselves evolve. As much as I detest the political polarization of today, I more fear the balkanization of parties to create a situation similar to Italy. While I tend to believe the principle that less government is good, a situation where 5 or 6 parties each had around 20% support would be absolute chaos.
It is possible that the "main stream" portion of each party can reclaim control and marginalize the more radical elements. Those elements could break away completely to form new parties, which would likely disappear rather quickly. Possibly the "mainstream" could fail to control either the Democratic or Republican party while being successful in the other. This would likely lead the element which failed to moderate their party to leave it for the other. The surviving party would then become more radical, the new party more moderate. The last alternative is that both moderation attempts would fail. I think this would undoubtedly lead to creation of a 3rd Party, the "Middle of the Roaders." If this party lasted for more than a few election cycles, it would replace one of the existing "wings" and the political center would shift accordingly.
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