Some say there are no differences between the parties but there are. For example:
- Republicans slap their base in the face regularly because they think their golden ticket come with winning over others on the assumption the base will have no choice but to take it. Democrats embrace their base, no matter how crazy or fringe they are. For example, did you ever hear a democrat disavow Code Pink? Nope, and you never will. They think they path to victory is to give the base what they want and demonize the GOP so bad nobody in the middle would consider voting for them. Thus the dems get to remain ideologically pure and still win the middle.
- Democrats have fake conservatives, the so-called blue dogs. They are fine with it and will let the blue dogs wear their mask as long as they have the votes to get their way without them. But if it's close, they round up the blue dogs and tell them to vote hard core lefty and like it and the blue dogs will. They accept a splinter group in the party but they control it. Republicans have fake conservatives but they run the party. They hate real conservatives because when they order them to vote liberal, they won't. They can't control them and they hate them far more than they hate the supposed enemy Democrats.
- Democrats fight like hell for what they want. For example if they want a judicial nominee approved they go to the mat and if they want one shot down they lie, smear, demagogue, whatever it takes. If they want to silence the minority with new rules they just do it, no debate. Republicans don't fight because they are worried the NY Times will say they are meanies. Their nominees sat for years, they shared power in the Senate, they simply have no fight in them.
- On the rare occasions that Democrats lose a fight, they immediately turn it to their advantage. They lie and demagogue about how the other guys are fascists that stifle debate. They complain about the whiff of dictatorship in the air. And the next time there is a fight, the GOP waves a white flag and hides under their desks because they got called meanies by the NY Times and they just can't let it happen again.
Basically democrats fight and republicans roll over. The GOP is built to be loyal opposition party, a permanent minority that cannot and will not lead. They despise the base because their main goal is to get the trappings of power and status as a social elite and the base keeps embarrassing them with their "crazy" demands like low taxation, second amendment rights, enforcement of the laws, and freedom of religion. You know, things the NY Times will say they are hicks for supporting.
Obama is able to win because he knows that the GOP may make some weak gestures of protest about high taxes, massive debt, crushing regulation, and oppression of freedom but deep down these things don't really bother them. It's just a show for the base and if he gives them a way to abandon opposition to those things, they will every time. All he needs to do is create a crisis so they can say "what else could I do?" and everyone in DC is happy.
“All he needs to do is create a crisis so they can say “what else could I do?” and everyone in DC is happy.”
Damn right!
I think this comparison between a republican and a democrat is very realistic:
“Don’t let a crisis go to waste” Rahm Emannuel
“use a crisis to cave and hang your hat on” Most Republicans