The Sixty Percent Majority Party

GOPUSA ^ | 2-15-05 | Horace Cooper

[FlyLow]

How the mighty have fallen. In the space of forty years the world's oldest continuing political party went from absolute dominance throughout the United States to a shell of its former self. Now, with former Vermont Gov. Howard Dean as its chairman and chief spokesman, the Democrats have fallen even further and are threatening to become a permanent minority for at least several generations.

Though seldom mentioned, the current political environment is, for the Democrats, more inhospitable than at any time since the Great Depression. Party leaders and the activists who make up the base have been remarkably stubborn in their refusal to learn from experience. They fantastically maintain that their election losses are a product of their inability to explain their ideas and views effectively. Actually, they are rather honest about their desire to raise taxes and neuter the U.S. military, to name two examples of where they do a fine job of explaining what they are for. Meanwhile, they do nothing to stem their downward spiral.

The 2006 elections will probably yield more disheartening results. Party switching, candidate recruiting difficulties and further losses proceed apace and, given the scope of Bush's victory in 2004, may even accelerate as the party's self-immolation accelerates. Yet Democrats within and without the party can't see what's happened and continue ineluctably towards political party denationalization.

No matter what the explanation, the Republican Party is now the majority party and is expanding its scope and range in much the same way the Democrats did in the last century.

[Restorer]

In the space of forty years the world's oldest continuing political party went from absolute dominance throughout the United States to a shell of its former self.

I'm not sure exactly how you figure this, but I propose the British Conservative Party as a much more likely contender.

Although at the rate it's going it may not be around much longer.

[Puckster]

"No matter what the explanation, the Republican Party is now the majority party and is expanding its scope and range in much the same way the Democrats did in the last century."

The Republican Party needs to remember that no party is in power without the consent of the Independents that are a majority in this country.

After 9/11, the majority of Independents swung more conservative..........a fact not to be ignored.

[Zeppelin]

***They fantastically maintain that their election losses are a product of their inability to explain their ideas and views effectively.***

Yeah guys, it has NOTHING to do with WHAT you stand for. Just keep refining your speaking skills and people will eventually embrace baby-killing and sodomy.

[Restorer]

When you're deep in a hole the first thing to do is stop digging.

[shekkian]

I would think military dictatorships were around much longer than that.

[Zeppelin]

***The Republican Party needs to remember that no party is in power without the consent of the Independents that are a majority in this country.

After 9/11, the majority of Independents swung more conservative..........a fact not to be ignored.***

A very good point. We cannot get complacent and overconfident in our majority position. But I have faith in our competent political machine, including all the individuals here at FR. I really do think forums such as FR will help prevent the political fluctuation back toward empowering the DemonRats. Our voices are now much more easily heard (or read), on a larger scale, and we are much more informed and up-to-date than in years past. Our leaders will be paying attention to what we say, or else meet their political demise.

=)

[Restorer]

I would think military dictatorships were around much longer than that.

Not any given military dictatorship. Anyway, we're talking about political parties, not a form of government.

[standupfortruth]

Yes, and their latest "sure-fire" strategy is to lie to the voters in the 2006 elections about what their core principles are!

[Restorer]

According to this website, the British Conservatives can be traced back to the early 17th Century.

http://www.conservatives.com/tile.do?def=party.history.page

[ModelBreaker]

When you're deep in a hole the first thing to do is stop digging.

Most holes go down. The dem's hole goes left and they are still digging as fast as they can (except for Hillary).

[Gumdrop]

How true! With the decision by Sen. Mark Dayton to not defend his U. S. senate seat here in the liberal northern state of Minnesota, the prospects for a GOP takeover are very good. Several viable candidates have expressed a wish to run with more in the wings. On the Democratic side, the names are generally not well known, and the grandson of Hubert H. Humphrey has decided to pass up the opportunity. I think he knows the climate is not good for the Democrats right now.

[colorado tanker]

The claim for the Democrats comes from the characterization that when the party was founded after the Constitution was ratified the British Parliament looked more like a group of factions than formal parties. It's hard to say when the Tories crossed the line to have a formal party. By the early 19th Century, they were identifying as Whigs and Tories.

[SedVictaCatoni]

I'm not sure exactly how you figure this, but I propose the British Conservative Party as a much more likely contender.

The British Conservative Party arose in the 1830s after Peel issued the Tamworth Manifesto (1834). The U. S. Democratic (fka Democratic-Republican, fka Republican) Party arose in the 1790s, and gained dominance with the election of Thomas Jefferson in 1800.

[Restorer]

I've read some very detailed claims that the present Democratic Party didn't come into existence till around 1836.

I guess it all depends on how you define "party" and "continuity" in this context.

[tjwmason]

The British Conservative Party arose in the 1830s after Peel issued the Tamworth Manifesto (1834). The U. S. Democratic (fka Democratic-Republican, fka Republican) Party arose in the 1790s, and gained dominance with the election of Thomas Jefferson in 1800.

Whilst the above facts are sort of true, they are also utterly misleading.

The term 'Tory' has been in use since about 1680, the process by which a group of similarly opinioned people became 'The Conservative Party' was a long process; technically speaking 'The Conservative Party' was founded following the Hague reforms in the late 1990s, yet everybody acknowledges it goes back further than that. The Tamworth Manifesto was certainly a large step in the development of the Conservative Party but one which followed from previous steps and was succeeded by other steps.

Similarly, the Democratic Party was more of a confederation of similarly minded people (at least until 1848 with the creation of D.N.C.).

I would certainly suggest that the Conservative Party is the oldest party in the world. Or in the words of the late Alan Clark "a four hundred year old whore".

[tjwmason]

I would think military dictatorships were around much longer than that.

The term 'Tory' was first used in British politics around 1680, I cannot think of any military dictatorship which goes quite that far back.

[ken5050]

As long as both Clintons are involved in Dem politics, the GOP will continue to dominate. We should wish a long and healthy life for both Bill and Hilalry..

[doug from upland]

Millard Filmore, the last Whig president.

Bill Clinton, the last DemocRAT president.