DANGER AT THE POLES

Let’s start with a few postulations:

1) On a national scale, the country has moved so far to the right that it has become uncomfortably conservative for a majority of the populous. Yet,

2) the country continues to march ever more rightward, re-electing Bush by a greater margin than in 2000, and increasing the Republican margin in Congress.

3) Just as in nature, when everything gets out of balance politically, there are often violent and unforeseen “corrections.”

This spells a lot of trouble for this country. Republicans apparently see no reason to be anything other than extremely conservative. Democrats, instead of trying to put up candidates that are palatable to the moderates and independents in the electorate, are instead running liberal candidates who are also unpalatable to the mainstream, as well as being offensive to conservatives. This would explain how the country can continue to shift rightward.

It’s not hard to see the potential for some confrontations in the not-too-distant future similar to the late 60s. I’m a bit too young to remember, but it sure feels like what I imagine 1964 must have been, only in reverse: a long string of Democratic presidents with a popular 2-term Republican stuck in the middle. A winnable and controversial election gone awry in 1960; an almost unelectable GOP candidate in 1964; a “just” war gone sour….all leading to tremendous social and political upheaval in 1968 and the ultimate election of an even more divisive President.

Are we doomed to play out the same scenario? Of course things aren’t exactly as they were in the 60s, but I believe the answer is yes if we continue to get our candidates from opposite poles of the electorate.

The concern here is that Dem & GOP leaders fail to see this, and yet each can unilaterally avoid it. Both parties need to be less concerned about their “base” and concentrate on grabbing people in the middle. Yes, a lot was made this election about “turning out the base,” but let’s be real. EVERYONE turned out: base voters, independent voters, fringe voters…anyone and everyone who was actually inclined to vote did so. If the Dems had been able to grab the middle they would have wiped out Bush, no matter how many right-wingers got out to vote Republican.

The challenge is on us as well to ensure that we let our local party leaders know that we need politicians that represent the majority of the country, not its loud-mouthed fringes. If we fail, we run a grave risk of internal upheaval that, just like 40 years ago, no one saw coming and no one knew what to do when it did indeed rear its ugly head.

P.S. If you're on the political fringe, get over your bad self and recognize that retaining or finding your political voice rests with being able to claim the middle first.