There is one naive assumption that is running rampant in

[nadinbrzezinski]

the country.

It goes something like this... just because a party is the way it is right now, it has always been this way.

Reality is that parties change... and they also change the coalitions that bring them to power and keep them in power.

First let's look at the Republicans... then we will take a look at the Democratic-Republican Party...

The Republicans were a fringe group, of populists, that rose against the Whig establishment. A few things in the party of Lincoln that should be striking today is that stance against slavery.

Over the next few decades the party of lincoln was cooped and moved slowly into an establishment party, and pro business. It also became quite insular, and against any and all wars. Hell, they were very critical of the mere idea of Empire. Ok fast forwards to the 1880s, they were truly an establishment party. They were pro business, and they were controlled by business. (So a few things have not changed since then)

Then fast forwards to the 1950s. They had a little problem called the John Birch society... (realize the Kochs were heavily involved in that one)... the INTELLECTUALS in the party kicked the birchers out... they realized just how dangerous they were. Ok fast forward to today... the GOP, through the conservative revolution, and the tea parties has become what it was started against... it is a radical right wing... intolerant party. The WHIGS have come back, as well as the John Birch society... in effect they have made themselves an extreme minority, albeit loud and dangerous, party.

Now lets look at the other side.

The party of Jefferson was pretty much an establishment party... as much as you can get one in the early Republic. It was taken over by populist forces, with the expansion of the vote. the franchise. under Jackson. It was a populist party. Over time it morphed into an establishment party. During the Civil War it was the party that didn't want the war, and ran on a peace platform in 1864... so fast forward to the 1880s... there was little light between the two... so the Granger movement (and a few others) were created to fight the establishment. Over the next thirty years these OUTSIDE movements infiltrated and took over the democratic party. The Party of FDR is that NEW coalition of the people and for the people. You should think Jackson... it was once again a populist party.

What has happened over the last thirty years is that the Democratic party was infiltrated by moderate republicans, the Rockefeller faction, and it's own internal, business friendly, faction rose to power. THis is exactly where we are.

So the first thing we need to recognize is that yes, parties change.

The second is that perhaps external forces will be needed.

The third is that if we are to move this party away from the RIGHT... we will need to infiltrate it, or pressure from the outside.

This is in a nutshel a political history. I have said it before, the parallels to 1859 are just striking, and this is but one more reason.

[Warpy]

1. You've forgotten a few things.

The first Hamiltonian party was the Federalist Party. They remained a minority party until they made a deal with the devil--the wealthy of the day--to gain power. When that devil took over, there was a war fought within that party and it fell apart.

The Whigs were the party that arose from the ashes. They, too, were a minority party until they made a deal with the devil, the abolitionists, people who had as much in common with the Hamiltonian leadership as the Koch brothers do with the snake handlers. Eventually there was a war within the party, they failed to support their own incumbent presidential candidate, and they fell apart.

The Republicans arose from their ashes as an abolitionist party. The Hamiltonians took over after the war and they remained largely a minority party. They have now weathered several deals with several devils: southern bigots in the late 60s, snake handlers in the late 70s, and now the tea party, an umbrella term that covers all the devils rolled into one. There is a massive struggle going on in that party right now and being played out in the House of Representatives. The coalitions between Hamiltonians and the various devils have been uneasy ones. The unease is now open warfare.

If history is repeating itself yet again, 2012 might be the last year the party fields a presidential candidate and only because Mitt's all dressed up and it's his turn. They will rip themselves completely apart trying to field a candidate in 2016.

My own contention is that Hamiltonian parties are only stable while they remain the minority parties, fielding presidential candidates and occasionally winning the presidency. Once they go for the masses and their votes, they sow the seeds of their own destruction.

[nadinbrzezinski]

2. On purpose I kept to the two major parties

we have had a few third parties over the last two hundred + years that have had significant effects. Hamilton's faction, to use the language of the time, is but one.

IN the modern US the GOP is heavily influenced by the Libertarians (who run the gamut from right to left)... and I think there is a chance that the GOP will field it's last candidate in 2012... watching the convention should give us hints as to how truly divided they are.

(And I mean the secondary speeches not the prime time ones)

[Warpy]

4. So did I.

Or did you forget it was once the Federalists versus the Democratic Republicans or the Whigs versus the Democratic Republicans?

[nadinbrzezinski]

5. Nope, not at all

Thanks

[bananas]

3. Good post. nt