We all are in a tizzy about the Democratic Party not standing for anything. A number of diaries recently have discussed the Democratic Party moving away from or modifying its position with respect to Abortion. A number of diaries recently have asked Kossacks, Kosmopolitans, Kostarians and the Kossarians which position, if abandoned or adopted by the Democratic Party, would be the deal breaker with respect to their support of the Democratic Party.
That's got me thinking. Yes, I know that's dangerous. I will alert the authorities, but first--What if neither party stands for anything?
Yes, Delaware Dem will now channel Ralph Nader.
The goal of the two main political parties is to win elections. Plain and simple. Their goal is not to stand firm with a position on an issue or an ideology throughout all time. Political Parties evolve. One needs no more proof of that than to know that the Democratic Party once had an airtight electoral lock on all southern states.
So, if political parties evolve, then it logically follows that they stand for nothing. The positions each party stands for changes from election to election.
It logically follows, but it is also not necessarily true as well. Political Parties do have very simple yet very powerful stereotypes associated with them, and these sterotypes explain why they win elections.
Republicans are voted into power when national pride is at its highest. When voters think and say "I'm an American and I'm goddamned well proud of it and the USA is the greatest country in the world," they vote Republican. It's a ultra nationalist attitude. Republicans are also typecast as being pro-business and anti-taxes. They are type cast as being fiscal conservatives.
People believe these stereotypes deeply, as they have been raised with them. Thus, they will vote Republican if they think we need a strong leader who will defend America against its enemies, cut taxes and help business. Even if all facts and evidence presented to the voters says the contrary: that the Republican President is not fiscally conservative, has driven us into debt, is not a strong leader, and has not protected America.
Karl Rove understood that. He is not a genius. All Karl Rove had to do was recognize that America was experiencing a favorable political cycle that resonated with the Republican stereotype. And then all he had to do was keep pounding those stereotypes into stump speech after stump speech.
On the flip side, the Democratic Party has its stereotype. There is a time when ultra nationalism needs to put in its place in favor of domestic concerns. Democrats are recognized as the social reform party. When a social issue becomes a problem for society, the Democrats are the ones who typically fix it. Civil Rights, the New Deal and the Great Depression, the Great Society, Clinton and Healthcare, Family Leave and Welfare, Clinton and the economic recession of 1992, the United Nations, the League of Nations. Whenever massive social change occurs, usually the Democrats are responsible. The only exception to this I can think of is Lincoln, the Civil War and the end of slavery.
Think about our major election cyles and results. These stereotypes best explain the results:
- 1912--Progressives and Democrats push social reform = Democratic victory
- 1920--Democrats go too far with the League of Nations, Americans' national pride is high, and business is booming = Republican victory
- 1932--Great Depression destroys American economy and major reforms are needed = Democratic victory.
- 1952--American national pride high, business booming = Republican victory
- 1964--Civil Rights and Great Society reform = Democratic victory.
- 1968--Vietnam makes America look weak and the economy is stagnant, so we elect a Republican to make America strong again.
- 1976--Watergate corruption exposed, so we elect a Democrat to clean house.
- 1980--Iranian hostage crisis and stagflation makes America look weak, so we elect a Republican to make us strong again.
- 1992--Economy in a major recession, and reforms are needed in healthcare and welfare programs, so we elect a Democrat.
- 2004--American pride high, we are involved in a War on Terror and a War in Iraq, so we need a Republican to make us strong.
I know there are many exceptions and glaring inaccuracies in my thinking. For example, in the most recent election you will say that the economy sucked, what with the high debt, high gas prices, lower wages, higher interest rates, and the outsourcing of jobs. Sure, the economy is not great right now, but the concern over the economy was not great enough to outweigh the nationalist pride and need for a strong leader.
And I am sure many of you say "DelDem, Democrats are strong leaders! FDR was a strong leader. Clinton, Truman and Kennedy were strong leaders. And plenty of Republicans have been weak and horrible. So where do you get this bunk that the public will always perceive Republicans as strong leaders?"
Who ever said that public perception was based on fact? Or was accurate in any way?
Public perception and stereotypes are what they are. Only major and seismic societal changes and events can change them. A political campaign cannot.
John Kerry is and was a strong leader. His campaign has a slogan "A Stronger America." Did the public ever believe it? No.
So to sum up, Political Parties have certain stereotypes and associations that rarely change. But a politcal parties' precise positions on the issues will always change. Even a political parties' basic ideology can change. The Republicans used to be for less governmental intrusion. Now they are for more of it. The Republicans used to decry pork barrel spending. Now they love it. Democrats used to be avidly anti-death penalty. Now we accept it.
Political Parties' positions on the issues change in accordance to the public's attitude on the issues. Why? Because they want to win elections. So when discussions about modifying positions on abortion or 'reforming' Social Security take place, realize that it is all part of a political process.
If you are a true believer in an ideology, then the Republican and Democratic Parties are not for you. Republicans are not and will never be truly libertarian or truly conservative. Democrats are not and will never be truly liberal or truly socialist. If you want those ideologies, the Libertarian Party, the Green Party and the Socialist Party will gladly have you.
So Ralph Nader is right. The Republican and Democratic Parties do indeed stand for nothing.