General Discussion
In reply to the discussion: Let's let our senators know that we want them to get tough with the Republicans -- for a change! [View all]Hortensis
(58,785 posts)conservative faction in the party since most Southern Democrats moved to, and took over, the GOP. Before then centrists in both parties cooperated as needed to keep the rabid southern conservatives and religionists checked. Now it's just us.
Sure, the vast money in politics has had some corrupting effect on our party also, but to a vastly smaller degree than the GOP. They've collapsed under corruption and corruption-generated extremism, while we're still at basic healthy and principled. We have not lost the way.
What you imagine is a massive shift to the right from abandonment of ideals is actually the effect of the reality that we have to appeal to a majority or we will become completely ineffectual. This last election was when our efforts to appeal to right-centrist voters might finally win us some moderate conservatives for whom their party had hit bottom. NOT corruption.
Just watching Obama, and then Hillary, try to hold the American center solid together against the attacks of what has become an extremist Republican Party should make that obvious.