General Discussion
In reply to the discussion: This gerrymandering HAS GOT TO STOP! ( The 20 Most Gerrymandered Congressional Districts) [View all]Sekhmets Daughter
(7,515 posts)something the politicians have been able to 'capitalize' on for years.
While it is undeniable that the Democratic Party has moved right since Nixon and his "southern strategy", there are still major differences in the two parties. I was thinking, just this morning, after listening to Bobby Jindal who is firing the first shots of his national campaign, that it we may be witnessing a real sea change as the republican party appears to be moving left....It will be fascinating to watch the base react.
Neither party has perfectly represented me, but I am not convinced that my views, needs and wants are the exact same as a majority of the nation. I am a fiscal conservative who believes in the need for a true social safety net. I believe that once we are past this recession, we need to raise taxes for everyone... right after we increase the minimum wage to a "living" wage. People get the government they deserve when they don't vote and don't want to pay for that government. I know that welfare was designed to keep poor people complacent and in their place and not to help them achieve productive independence. I know that one of the greatest failures of the Democratic Party is that they never really worked to make that a better system of support. Conversely, I also know that the last thing we need is more conservatives on the Supreme Court or the election of more politicians who would gleefully turn this country into a theocracy. So while the choice may be between a reddish purple and a bluish purple, I prefer the bluish.
As I've said before, the nation lives in the middle of the political spectrum. It is the responsibility of the "left" to keep the Democratic Party to the left of center. It is self-defeating to pack up one's teepee and go home....Only 62+ million of the 72 million registered Republicans turned out to vote or voted for Obama...Meanwhile Romney had 59+ million votes with just 55 million registered republicans nationwide....and just under 2 million cast their votes for a third candidate. We could have a Democratic House if more Dems had shown up. We would have a stronger voice in that House if we were as loud as the Tea Party has been.