 |
|||
|
|
|
 A Tale of Two PartiesPosted on Jun 1, 2007WASHINGTON—So when Democratic presidential candidates get together, they argue about who has the best healthcare plan. When Republicans have a big discussion, it’s about torture and who’ll use it when. OK, OK, Republicans had their chat about torture in one debate in response to a hypothetical question. Still, the contrast points to one of the strangest qualities of the 2008 presidential campaign: Our two political parties and their candidates are living in parallel universes. It is as if they were running for president in two separate countries. Their televised debates next week will be productions as different from each other as “American Idol” is from “P.T.I.” The parties do have some things in common—Iraq and the economy are concerns for both. But beyond these two issues, what matters most to Republican voters is hugely different from what matters most to Democrats. The polarization between our parties now extends to the very definition of our country, its problems and the stakes in the next elections. Consider an April Pew Research Center survey whose findings the center kindly re-analyzed for me. Asked to name the issue that would most affect their choice for president, Iraq was first in both parties—but it was named by 40 percent of Democrats and only 29 percent of Republicans. If Democrats in Congress wonder why they got so many e-mails and phone calls on the recent war-funding vote, that’s why. On almost every other issue, the gaps between the parties are even more striking. Heathcare was the most important for 13 percent of Democrats but only 2 percent of Republicans. On the other hand, 17 percent of Republicans said issues related to terrorism and security were decisive in their choices, compared with 5 percent of Democrats. Terror is actually the No. 2 issue for Republicans, behind Iraq and slightly ahead of the economy. (The economy is No. 2 for Democrats, after Iraq.) No wonder Republicans got into all that detail last month about “enhanced interrogation techniques.” Advertisement Consolidating these results dramatizes how different Democraticland is from Republicanland: 42 percent of Democrats listed one of three big domestic issues (the economy, healthcare and education) compared with only 20 percent of Republicans. The hot-button issues of immigration and abortion were overwhelmingly Republican concerns (20 percent to 2 percent). The New York Times/CBS News Poll and the Fox News/Opinion Dynamics Poll taken this month and an earlier Washington Post/ABC News Poll found similarly large differences in the agendas of each party. Think of the implications: The Democratic mind is focused on serious domestic problems, the Republican mind on terrorism and national security. How will the two parties reach any consensus on issues that the other side cares about so much more? Republicans will have little incentive to compromise to achieve healthcare reform. Democrats don’t perceive the terror threat at all the same way as Republicans do. Republicans have less room for compromise on immigration, given the passion on the issue within their ranks. In their primary fight, why should Republicans talk much about any domestic problem? Mitt Romney will not gain much by discussing the new Massachusetts health plan he pushed through, nor will Mike Huckabee get many votes by touting the education reforms he championed in Arkansas. The good news for Rudy Giuliani is that his talk about terrorism wins him a real audience in his party. The bad news is that the abortion issue, a stumbling block for him, matters far more to the Republicans he needs to court now than to Democrats or independents. On the other side, the Democrats’ discussion of healthcare is well advanced into the details, such as whether Barack Obama’s new proposal on the subject is sufficiently universal. Hillary Clinton gave a powerful speech on economic inequality earlier this week in New Hampshire full of specific proposals and rhetoric every bit as populist as John Edwards’ greatest hits. All three know who their audience is. And so the Democrats who debate on Sunday and the Republicans who debate on Tuesday will offer a portrait of an election in which our parties are speaking different languages to two very different Americas. This can’t be good for us, and it surely won’t help whoever is lucky or unlucky enough to be our next president. E.J. Dionne’s e-mail address is postchat(at symbol)aol.com. © 2007, Washington Post Writers Group  Previous item: America Likes an Idiot, but It Needs Al Gore Next item: Satire: Hillary Tries to Fatten Up the Competition CommentsAre you a Truthdig member yet? Login now, or register with Truthdig. Add Your Comment |
What’s Really At Stake in 2012
Email
Print
Share
Digg
Facebook
TwitThis
StumbleUpon
Reddit
YahooBuzz
Email
BlinkList
del.icio.us
Fark
Furl
Google
LinkedIn
Mixx
MyShare
NewsVine
Propeller
SphereIt
Technorati
YahooMyWeb
Newsletter 
Become a Fan
Follow Us
Subscribe
Tags|Bazaar|Podcast|About Us|Contact Us|User Agreement|Privacy Policy|FAQ: Comments and Moderation
Copyright © 2012 Truthdig, L.L.C. All rights reserved.
By Tom Doff, June 4, 2007 at 12:29 pm Link to this comment
(Unregistered commenter)
#75200 by Verne Arnold, thanx, Verne, I need all the moral support I can get, all the palm trees surrounding my retreat are overpopulated by MOSSAD, Crazy-Christian-Evangelical-Fundamentalist, the Pope’s, republican, and JDL sniper squads.
Report thisThey seem to hate rational realists, especially smart-ass cynical, satirical goy ones.
By Verne Arnold, June 4, 2007 at 5:34 am Link to this comment
#74664 by Tom Doff on 6/01 at 4:31 pm
You have such a way with words…keep it up!
Report thisBy Skruff, June 4, 2007 at 5:33 am Link to this comment
(Unregistered commenter)
75038 by Toby on 6/03 at 11:35 am
“...Anybody know a committed public servant?”
Not me. BUT
In the past we’ve had some.
Norman Thomas
John Anderson
Ross Perot
Ralph Nader
All had large followings, and, with the same money the D’s and R’s are taking from lobbiests, might have done just that.
Report thisBy Toby, June 3, 2007 at 11:35 am Link to this comment
(Unregistered commenter)
#74836 by Skruff
“New Hampshire:
26% registered Republican
30% registered Democrat
42% registered Independent
The major parties (and what they think) have become irrelevant.”
Oh so true. But here’s the rub.
As it becomes more and more obvious people prefer to be independent of the party’s, more and more “party” members will jump ship and become “independent” candidates! Which will muddy up the waters even more! Because just as sure as day follows night, they will bring their baggage with them!
Anybody know a committed public servant with name recognition a flawless reputation and tons of money, who will be able to bring all the dissatisfied “independents” to the same table? Who will be able to get us all to agree on everything. (let alone anything) Who is willing to give up the next five years of his/her life, face media scrutiny and ridicule. Possibly lose his/her Spouse and family (not to mention take a pay cut)
Anybody know somebody who can do that, just because we really badly need him/her to save us?
I thought not.
Report thisBy Louise, June 3, 2007 at 8:15 am Link to this comment
(Unregistered commenter)
“How will the two parties reach any consensus on issues that the other side cares about so much more?”
Perhaps the two parties have reached a consensus.
That consensus being, the decision to focus on the unsolvable so we wont notice both party’s unwillingness to solve what they can.
Like, win lose or draw, bring the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan to a conclusion.
“And so the Democrats who debate on Sunday and the Republicans who debate on Tuesday will offer a portrait of an election in which our parties are speaking different languages to two very different Americas. This cant be good for us, and it surely wont help whoever is lucky or unlucky enough to be our next president.”
None of it is good for us, for the very simple reason neither party actually is ready, willing and able to do that which they have pledged to do.
Like, win lose or draw, bring the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan to a conclusion.
On the “health care” issue. With little exception the plans being debated are nothing more than feeding more money and power to the already bloated Monster in the room. The Insurance Corporations who are a big part of the problem.
On the “terror” issue. With little exception the plans being debated are nothing more than a rehash of what has or hasn’t worked. (mostly hasn’t) No true plan designed to make our society safer is out there. But ongoing support for the burgeoning bureaucracies that keep the fear alive, cost lots of money and do little else, is loud and clear.
On the “domestic” issues. Failing to even mention a willingness to revisit, or do away with the very bad legislation coming out of the previous repub controlled congress(s), they fail to address the problems that have created so much crisis in a large segment of society.
On the “undocumented” issue. Failing to address the problems created by several million new prisoners that will need tracking and housing and processing if they have their way, proposed solutions are not solutions ... just more problems.
In short. Both party’s range of candidates, with a few notable exceptions (Kucinich, Gravel and Paul) are not really looking to solve or change, or do anything, about anything.
What we see and hear and read about are sound-bites. Sound-bites designed to convey the impression of great concern and determined effort to bring about change. When in reality the primary goal is to raise money, the more the better. Making it possible to buy the right writers and produce the best adds that create the biggest impact on the blankest minds.
Change is off the table.
Meanwhile the citizenry at large, fed up with the lot of them, have absolutely no intention of watching any of those adds!
What to do?
Well honesty would be nice.
Right now, even though the focus is on how differently the two parties approach the problems we are getting hurt by. In reality they BOTH avoid the real problem. Hoping we will be so dazzled by their grasp of the obvious we wont notice how studiously they avoid commitment to actually doing anything ... about anything.
Like, win lose or draw, bringing the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan to a conclusion.
Report thisBy Druthers, June 3, 2007 at 1:34 am Link to this comment
(Unregistered commenter)
“All three know who their audience is.”
As a voter I think we are more like targets and I would not like to get shot in the back.
Report thisBy THOMAS BILLIS, June 2, 2007 at 5:21 pm Link to this comment
(Unregistered commenter)
This bi partisanship and the good old days is a lot of bullshit.One party wins and runs the show with the minority party claiming everything that the majority party is doing will cause the downfall of the nation.It is called the loyal opposition.The canard that in the past it was kumbaya and they danced and sang together is just a myth.The thing that is different now is that the democrats and the republicans represent the same interests corporations.I make the case that the republicans are total whores to corporate interests and the democrats cheat on their spouses as corporate whores frequently.
Report thisBy Hammo, June 2, 2007 at 12:28 pm Link to this comment
Repubs, Dems ... in some ways quite different and in some ways very similar.
One thing seems sure, the American people are ready for some kind of change in the government, and in our society.
This is a psychological, social, cultural and emotional desire ... maybe even spiritual.
It may also be part of a cycle, a circle of the development of our nation and society.
Food for thought in:
“Winds of change again blowing across America”
PopulistAmerica.com
Populist Party of America
April 20, 2007
http://www.populistamerica.com/winds_of_change_again_blowing_across_america
Report thisBy Skruff, June 2, 2007 at 12:17 pm Link to this comment
(Unregistered commenter)
New Hampshire:
26% registered Republican
30% registered Democrat
42% registered Independent
The “major parties (and what they think) have become irrelivant.
Report thisBy Leefeller, June 2, 2007 at 8:42 am Link to this comment
Conjuring up an article on the differences between the Republicans and Democrats and using the mass media as the source of reference, supports those three entities verbatim.
Since both parties, the Democrats and the Republicans are both manipulated by Corporate interests and the mass media is owned by corporations, I would argue any differences at all.
By only mentioning the front runner candidates, this article emulates the mass media, by providing our choices for us. Being Non-inclusive of the only three candidates who argue against the war, this article, crosses them off, and makes them null and void. The minds of uninformed are again, being programed. Candidates not in the pockets of big money are ignored.
Maybe a pabulum laced article such as this is necessary to attract more of the mass media audience. We the people are doomed, to be fed more of the same, a diet of business as usual. Forced, like so many geese, with no choice but to be fed through a funnel shoved down our throats a diet of debate which is not debate.
Report thisBy sam, June 2, 2007 at 5:17 am Link to this comment
(Unregistered commenter)
question: did this pew survey specify democrats, republicans AND independents? and if so, what were the independents’ opinions? could there be a possibility for a meeting of the minds by way of the independents?
Report thisBy B, June 2, 2007 at 1:41 am Link to this comment
(Unregistered commenter)
There are no longer two political parties. The democrats are merely playing relief pitcher. [While the rest of us are all playing catcher if ya know what I mean]
If the last election and the absolute dismissal of the actual voters once it was over isn’t enough to wake up folks—- we are truly f****d. Of course, I believe we are already at this point.
If we continue to allow our politicos to pander to our desires during the elections and dismiss us as soon as they are over we will all get what we deserve. A permanence to the fascism growing in America today.
If we continue to allow our politicos to act as they choose without any real repurcussions we will find ourselves falling faster and faster.
If we don’t demand accountability—- we are the ones to be held accountable. We are the folks who will pay the prices for our political idiocy.
We as a nation are going down the tubes with more speed than any other great collapse in history. Where once nations declined for centuries before collapse we race towards our collapse at breakneck speed. We almost seem to welcome the collapse—-embrace it.
We are losing ground in every concievable way. We are losing our rights, devaluing the dollar, borrowing/enslaving ourselves to China, flooding our nation with cheap non-citizen labor, deregulating ourselves into oblivion, etc etc.
There is no angle we are not being picked clean by the vultures of our business/political fascist society.
I am coming to the belief that mankind is truly unable to govern themselves. Corruption seems to be a universal force we cannot overcome. Greed a drive we not only don’t resist but applaud. Laziness a lack of drive that we also applaud. So then how do we overcome this?
B
http://b-political.blogspot.com/
Report thisBy DennisD, June 1, 2007 at 7:06 pm Link to this comment
(Unregistered commenter)
History tells us it doesn’t matter which of the two parties win - we the American people will get screwed. With vaseline (courtesy of the Dem health plan) or without as part of the Republican torture plan. Vote third party when you get tired of assuming the position.
Report thisBy Tom Doff, June 1, 2007 at 4:31 pm Link to this comment
(Unregistered commenter)
And when republicans have their ‘torture’ discussions, they’re usually wearing masks, studded belts, carrying hand-cranked detonators with nipple and testicle clamps, various whips, bridles, handcuffs, restraints, ball gags, and the meetings are ‘stag’.
When the Dems have their ‘health care’ meetings, they’re usually all bruised and cut-up from the latest battles they have lost to the repubs, so they spend their time applying bandages, and massaging ointments and creams to each other.
Could this be an opportunity for bi-partisanship? Hold joint meetings?
I mean, the Dems could watch the Pubs torture each other, and the Pubs could watch the Dems soothe each other, maybe a new kind of political rapport could result. We could call it
‘Compassionate Liberalism’?
Report this