Three of my last five blog entries (and a lot of earlier ones) regard polarization and what can be done about it. One of them focuses on your book. https://luckorcunning.blogspot.com/
Ok, we have a political system that doesn’t work. And, in principle, we know (or can accept as logical) that eliminating the bans on fusion voting would, over time, lead to multiple parties. And that would lead to lots of positive downstream effects. Proportional representation might emerge. And more compromise and less fear, resentment and hatred.
But (there is always a but) your analysis leaves off the key factor that leaves us stuck.
We are stuck because ALL the political players are frozen by our combination of campaign finance and expensive primary elections. In your old New America analysis you concluded that the effect of “being primaried” attempts and (more relevantly) threats to do so (now often wielded by Trump) worked to shut off compromise and keep legislators locked in their leadership-driven policy straight-jacket.
You mention the frustration of recently retired politicians. Yet their complaints are never echoed by the incumbent in-office ones. The “truth” of the situation (that their own waking hours are almost completely dominated by a life spent seeking money from wealthy and special interest donors) is NEVER prominently highlighted by politicians except to point accusations at the OTHER party.
What is desperately needed is frank TRUTH. Open discussion about the campaign finance trap they ALL (both parties) find themselves in. The public strongly suspects money is deeply involved. But they have never heard it from the incumbents. They have, of course, heard lots of blame being used, but not the air-clearing Mea Culpa. Please look at the positive effect such confession would do for the Democrats if they were brave enough to try it.
) the campaign finance voucher program they included in the 2022 filibustered HR1 (and then proceeded to never talk about).
Currently, the Democrats are demoralized and disgusted with their weakness (such as today’s cave-in on the Continuing Resolution by Senate democrats). The independents and even those who are having Trump buyer remorse have little reason to hold out hope.
Thank you for the excellent analysis. Yes, most Americans are tired of the every-election yo-yo between two entrenched parties and have been clamoring for a three-party system but our history shows too many examples of unelectable spoilers.
What can be done immediately is the very possible reshaping of the political spectrum into what most Americans see and describe already: A) far-left B) most Democrats, Independents and moderate Republicans and C) far-right (there really isn't a GOP anymore more, just POT, the Party of Trump).
How will this happen? The main opposition to our current autocracy, the Democratic party, may feel like it is being forced to the right when I see a large majority of Americans don't identify with this party.
Both parties try to see enough go wrong withthe opposition to co-opt that large center at election time. Instead, why doesn't the Democratic party undergo a fundamental transformation as the new Big Tent. Maybe called the Constitutional Democracy Party out of the shared energy to restore democracy. Sure, compromise and fluidity will be necessary but Ted Kennedy and John McCain could work across the aisle.
Does this throw the the left flank under the bus? NO - while POT believes everyone to their left is a radical left socialist lunatic, in actuality there are very, very few of them in America. It would be up to this newly energized tent to set the record straight and steer the conversations back toward democracy and a bipartisanship that we worked out in 1787.
But things like reconfiguring representation won't happen unless the current representatives and senators have sustainable majorities, right? Just like impeachment and conviction of treasonous Trump who has broken his oath of office over and over again, won't happen under our two-party circumstances.
I'm just a retired former moderate Republican turned independent to escape MAGA, living in a really red state and currently without a party because along with so many I believe in the old adage "the center holds". I hope those with influence can get the horse before the cart for our sake.
This is an amazing speech, well done! You mentioned Protect Democracy, I thought Scott Mainwaring's report on PR on their behalf was excellent as well. My day job is at R Street and I have some pro-PR stuff coming as well. It is always great to hear from other voices!
Three of my last five blog entries (and a lot of earlier ones) regard polarization and what can be done about it. One of them focuses on your book. https://luckorcunning.blogspot.com/
Lee
Ok, we have a political system that doesn’t work. And, in principle, we know (or can accept as logical) that eliminating the bans on fusion voting would, over time, lead to multiple parties. And that would lead to lots of positive downstream effects. Proportional representation might emerge. And more compromise and less fear, resentment and hatred.
But (there is always a but) your analysis leaves off the key factor that leaves us stuck.
We are stuck because ALL the political players are frozen by our combination of campaign finance and expensive primary elections. In your old New America analysis you concluded that the effect of “being primaried” attempts and (more relevantly) threats to do so (now often wielded by Trump) worked to shut off compromise and keep legislators locked in their leadership-driven policy straight-jacket.
You mention the frustration of recently retired politicians. Yet their complaints are never echoed by the incumbent in-office ones. The “truth” of the situation (that their own waking hours are almost completely dominated by a life spent seeking money from wealthy and special interest donors) is NEVER prominently highlighted by politicians except to point accusations at the OTHER party.
What is desperately needed is frank TRUTH. Open discussion about the campaign finance trap they ALL (both parties) find themselves in. The public strongly suspects money is deeply involved. But they have never heard it from the incumbents. They have, of course, heard lots of blame being used, but not the air-clearing Mea Culpa. Please look at the positive effect such confession would do for the Democrats if they were brave enough to try it.
With the air cleared, the Democrats could dust off (or, better, rewrite along the lines of my essay https://michaelfoxworth.substack.com/p/national-democracy-dollars-details
) the campaign finance voucher program they included in the 2022 filibustered HR1 (and then proceeded to never talk about).
Currently, the Democrats are demoralized and disgusted with their weakness (such as today’s cave-in on the Continuing Resolution by Senate democrats). The independents and even those who are having Trump buyer remorse have little reason to hold out hope.
Hope is desperately needed.
That was an excellent — and crucially, hopeful and executable — speech. (And if I may add: you were well-dressed for it, too!)
Thank you for the excellent analysis. Yes, most Americans are tired of the every-election yo-yo between two entrenched parties and have been clamoring for a three-party system but our history shows too many examples of unelectable spoilers.
What can be done immediately is the very possible reshaping of the political spectrum into what most Americans see and describe already: A) far-left B) most Democrats, Independents and moderate Republicans and C) far-right (there really isn't a GOP anymore more, just POT, the Party of Trump).
How will this happen? The main opposition to our current autocracy, the Democratic party, may feel like it is being forced to the right when I see a large majority of Americans don't identify with this party.
Both parties try to see enough go wrong withthe opposition to co-opt that large center at election time. Instead, why doesn't the Democratic party undergo a fundamental transformation as the new Big Tent. Maybe called the Constitutional Democracy Party out of the shared energy to restore democracy. Sure, compromise and fluidity will be necessary but Ted Kennedy and John McCain could work across the aisle.
Does this throw the the left flank under the bus? NO - while POT believes everyone to their left is a radical left socialist lunatic, in actuality there are very, very few of them in America. It would be up to this newly energized tent to set the record straight and steer the conversations back toward democracy and a bipartisanship that we worked out in 1787.
But things like reconfiguring representation won't happen unless the current representatives and senators have sustainable majorities, right? Just like impeachment and conviction of treasonous Trump who has broken his oath of office over and over again, won't happen under our two-party circumstances.
I'm just a retired former moderate Republican turned independent to escape MAGA, living in a really red state and currently without a party because along with so many I believe in the old adage "the center holds". I hope those with influence can get the horse before the cart for our sake.
This is an amazing speech, well done! You mentioned Protect Democracy, I thought Scott Mainwaring's report on PR on their behalf was excellent as well. My day job is at R Street and I have some pro-PR stuff coming as well. It is always great to hear from other voices!