Voters turn their backs on Democrats and Republicans

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**Da Boss**

OPINION: IN 1951, Samuel Lubell invented the concept of the political solar system. At any moment, he wrote, there is a Sun Party (the majority party, which drives the agenda) and a Moon Party (the minority party, which shines by reflecting the solar rays).

During Franklin D Roosevelt’s era, Democrats were the Sun Party. During Ronald Reagan’s, Republicans were. Then, between 1996 and 2004, the two parties were tied. We lived in a 50-50 nation in which the overall party vote totals barely budged five elections in a row. It seemed then that we were in a moment of transition, waiting for the next Sun Party to emerge.

But something strange happened. No party took the lead. According to data today, both parties have become minority parties simultaneously. We are living in the era of two moons and no sun. It used to be that the parties were on a seesaw: if the ratings of one dropped, then the ratings of the other rose. But now the two parties have record low approval ratings together. Neither party has been able to rally the country behind its vision.

Ronald Brownstein summarised the underlying typography recently in the National Journal: “In Allstate/National Journal Heartland Monitor polls over the past two years, up to 40 per cent of Americans have consistently expressed support for the conservative view that government is more the problem than the solution for the nation’s challenges; about another 30 per cent have backed the Democratic view that government must take an active role in the economy; and the remaining 30 per cent are agnostic. They are open to government activism in theory but sceptical it will help them in practice.” In these circumstances, both parties have developed minority mentalities. The Republicans feel oppressed by the cultural establishment, and Democrats feel oppressed by the corporate establishment. They embrace the mental habits that have always been adopted by those who feel themselves resisting the onslaught of a dominant culture.

Their main fear is that they will lose their identity and cohesion if their members compromise with the larger world. They erect clear and rigid boundaries separating themselves from their enemies. In a hostile world, they erect rules and pledges and become hypervigilant about deviationism. They are more interested in protecting their special interests than converting outsiders. They slowly encase themselves in an epistemic cocoon.

The Democrat and Republican parties used to contain serious internal debates – between moderate and conservative Republicans, between New Democrats and liberals. Neither party does now. The Democratic and Republican parties used to promote skilled coalition builders. Now the American parties have come to resemble the ideologically coherent European ones. The Democrats talk and look like a conventional liberal party (some liberals, who represent, at most, 30 per cent of the country, are disappointed because President Barack Obama hasn’t ushered in a Huffington Post paradise). Meanwhile, many Republicans flock to Herman Cain or Newt Gingrich because they are more interested in having a leader who can take on the mainstream news media than in having one who can plausibly govern. Grover Norquist’s tax pledge isn’t really about public policy; it’s a chastity belt Republican politicians wear to show they haven’t been defiled by the Washington culture.

The era of the two moons is a volatile era. Independent voters are trapped in a cycle of sour rejectionism – voting against whichever of the two options they dislike most. The shift between the 2008 election, when voters rejected Republicans, and the 2010 election, when voters rejected Democrats, was as big as any shift in recent history.

Sometimes voters even reject both parties on the same day. In Ohio last month, for example, voters rejected the main fiscal policy of the Republican governor. On the same ballot, by 31 points, they rejected healthcare reform, the main initiative of their Democratic president.

In policy terms, the era of the two moons is an era of stagnation. Each party is too weak to push its own agenda and too encased by its own cocoon to agree to a hybrid. The supercommittee failed for this reason. Members of the supercommittee actually took some brave steps outside party orthodoxy (Republicans embraced progressive tax increases, Democrats flirted with spending cuts), but these were baby steps, insufficient to change the alignment.

In normal circumstances, minority parties suffer electoral defeats and then modernise. But with two moons, the parties enjoy periodic election victories they don’t deserve, which only reinforce their worst habits. Itis hard to see the way out unless a third force emerges and wedges itself into one of the two parties, or unless we have a devastating fiscal crisis – a brutal, cleansing flood, after which the sun will shine again. – (New York Times) (David Brooks)

I thought this was an interesting piece. Rings kinda true to what a lot of posters on Dakka seem to feel.
Well OT, thoughts?

**Jihadin**

good read...I say replace everyone at once. Half and Half I say.....have coffee?

**rockerbikie**

I doubt that is the truth. I predict the 2 Party State will last at least another 10 years.

**Jihadin**

Ugh....2012 around the corner. Bad enough with two...why add more to the drama

**Karon**

I want to be the Werewolf party.....

...but what if I get confronted by the sun party? What will I be then?

**Jihadin**

Who's going to the Emo Vamp Party?

**Karon**

Well, the Vampire party would get their ass kicked by the sun party...

The Werewolves would probably buddy with the moon party.

**AustonT**

Excellent article.

**Kilkrazy**

What is the chance of a third force arising in US politics.

It seems to me that getting elected is very expensive, unless you can build a strong grass roots movement

The Tea Party is a grass roots movement, but they are the loony right wing of the Republicans.

I feel that the USA as a whole is too right wing compared to Europe to allow for a party to the left of the Democrats.

There really isn't much clear water between the mainstream Democrats and mainstream Republicans to allow a third party in between.

**dogma**

Kilkrazy wrote:What is the chance of a third force arising in US politics.

Low, mostly due to the structure of the US electoral system (there's never been a viable third party in the US for any length of time), but also just because of good old fashioned political power.

Kilkrazy wrote:
There really isn't much clear water between the mainstream Democrats and mainstream Republicans to allow a third party in between.

That's very true, though presently the parties are moving apart ideologically, so it isn't beyond the pale to consider at least the future presence of a reasonable third party platform. Really, the libertarians could take the spot if they weren't so often concerned on ideological consistency.

**sebster**

Excellent article, and one that sums up things rather well. Neither party has a mandate to begin major reform, and the lack of any general goodwill between the two sides means that even if one side won a considerable election victory, as the Democrats did in 2008, means that no mandate for reform would be accepted.

Which means the alternative is compromise, something the left wing of the Democrats won't accept, and something the Republicans have culturally set themselves to refuse automatically.

Which makes muddling along achieving little kind of inevitable, and that's a problem when the US is badly in need of major reform of many of it's systems.

**d-usa**

The problem is that you can't just start up a third party in the US. You have to start a third party in all 50 states, since it is at the state level that elections are regulated.

I personally like the coalition governments that are more common in Europe, with Germany being the one I am most familiar with. The basic 4 parties are the two main Conservative and Liberal parties (similar to the US) and then two to three similar sized moderate parties.

The benefit seems to be that the big parties seem to be able to run on the extreme end of the rhetoric, but the actual governing will be more restraint by the forced coalition in order to obtain a majority.

Hell, if the Germans were able to pull of the grand coalition in the latter half of the 2000's and keep the government running in a halfway decent shape then there is no excuse that the USA can't get anything done.

**rockerbikie**

Jihadin wrote:Who's going to the Emo Vamp Party?

Vampires are not emos.

They are sinister blood drinking monsters of the night who hunt humans and destroy them to create more of their kind.

**helgrenze**

Kilkrazy wrote:There really isn't much clear water between the mainstream Democrats and mainstream Republicans to allow a third party in between.

Well then, Load the torpedos and full steam ahead.

The main problem with having a third party in the US is the perception that such a party would be "fringe" and/or "wacky". An idea that both Republican and Democrats are intent on pushing so that they can maintain their hold on political power.

**d-usa**

helgrenze wrote:
Kilkrazy wrote:There really isn't much clear water between the mainstream Democrats and mainstream Republicans to allow a third party in between.

Well then, Load the torpedos and full steam ahead.

The main problem with having a third party in the US is the perception that such a party would be "fringe" and/or "wacky". An idea that both Republican and Democrats are intent on pushing so that they can maintain their hold on political power.

Another stupid idea is that third parties "steal" votes. Like there is some predetermined right between the Big Two to all the votes in the US.

A vote for a third party candidate is not a stolen vote, it's a vote you didn't earn.

**Krellnus**

rockerbikie wrote:
Jihadin wrote:Who's going to the Emo Vamp Party?

Vampires are not emos.

Spoiler:

They are sinister blood drinking monsters of the night who hunt humans and destroy them to create more of their kind.

Damn straight, Twilight can go bite me if you'll pardon the pun...

**juraigamer**

There needs to be an inquisition. It's the only way.

**Steu**

juraigamer wrote:There needs to be an inquisition. It's the only way.

Briton could benefit from this as well

**Kilkrazy**

juraigamer wrote:There needs to be an inquisition. It's the only way.

You can't seriously expect an inquisition.

**rockerbikie**

juraigamer wrote:There needs to be an inquisition. It's the only way.

That was be amusing to see.

**Joey**

Steu wrote:
Briton could benefit from this as well

Britain*

Anyway, democracy has always been about choosing the lesser of two bastards. There was never some golden age where people in the street were openly displaying their love of politicians and political parties.

**mega_bassist**

Kilkrazy wrote:
juraigamer wrote:There needs to be an inquisition. It's the only way.

You can't seriously expect an inquisition.

Especially a Spanish one

**Easy E**

In Minnesota, we have a fairly well established Independent party that has won (and often is a factor) local elections.

3rd parties are possible, but very difficult to get off the ground in the US.

**Jihadin**

Damn...Mega beated me...a Spanish Inquisition with Mel Brooks song as its official song?

**mega_bassist**

Jihadin wrote:Damn...Mega beated me...a Spanish Inquisition with Mel Brooks song as its official song?

Haha, that's what I'm here for

**Jihadin**

Spanish Inquisition would have a tough time in space going after the "Jews in Space"

before people go "OMG He's a nazi" on me. Refer to History of the World Part 1"

**Easy E**

I wish they would make a part II.