The Democratic Party has been referred to as having a big tent. I’m glad that the tent is large enough to allow all walks of life. The tent includes all races, sexual orientation and ages. This is the party of diversity and that is the way it should be. In recent times, the tent has another sect included and that is Conservative Democrats. The decline of the Republican Party as a whole and the fact that they are becoming a Southern and White Party makes me ask 2 questions. Should the Republican Party even exist? If the Democratic Tent now includes Conservatives, why don't the reasonable Conservatives simply come into the Democratic Party? We could then have one political party with a Conservative wing and a Liberal Wing. Instead of having the Democratic and Republican Parties, there would be the Conservative Democratic Party and the Liberal Democratic Party. Of course there are bunches of inherent problems with this in that there would be zero room for tea bag people or political terrorist….i.e. religious nuts that believe in killing abortion doctors or for racist people. These folks would have to go form other fringe parties to show themselves for who they really are. Imagine the below as a list of political parties to vote for in the future….
Democratic Liberal / Progressive
Democratic Conservative
Southern Tea Party…Sweet Tea Party
Green Party….Ralph Nader if you must
Libertarian
Christian Party….very exclusive I guess
Of course the other question that I have is…has the tent gotten too big? Democrats find themselves in rare territory in that because we include all points of view, we often find it hard to vote as a block on issues and that allows the Republicans and Conservative Democrats to obstruct true reform and change. The Republicans seem to always vote in lock step but I suppose it is easier to do so when you represent a narrower viewpoint. Just food for thought, please leave your thoughts in the section below.
Funny, at CPAC Glenn Beck (keynote speaker) said the GOP does NOT need a bigger tent!
ReplyDeleteI personally wish the US had more than 2 viable parties, and a system of voting that ranked your votes so a vote to a 3rd party would not be a throwaway.
The Republicans vote in lock-step because it's easier to do what their leaders say (Beck,Limbaugh, etc.)than actually let those pesky facts get in the way.....and they have an agenda - to oppose ANYTHING Obama stands for. If they vote with Dems on anything, they know they'll be immediately pounced on by the tea bag crowd. As the Repubs become more and more extreme,soon they themselves will be thought of as a fringe group.Sure,they may win a few seats in the 2010 elections, but this does not bode well for them long term.I think it is they who should consider another party.Teabag Party anyone?
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