A Matter of Perspective: Challenge or Opportunity

Posted by Larry Miller on May 29, 2009 under How | Be the First to Comment

Recent polls show that we now have more people identifying themselves as Independents than as part of either of the major parties. In recent months, those identifying themselves as Republicans have slid from 29% to 22%. The talking heads have been reporting this movement with glee. What they have have not been telling us is that the Democrats have dropped from 39% to 33%. Since this doesn’t fit the New York Times template, this fact is not reported. Meanwhile voters identifying themselves as Independents has climbed to 39%. As Arte Johnson used to say, “Verrrry interesting.”

What does this tell us? It depends on what ax the interpreter has to grind. To the Republicans looking to drag the party to the middle, it means that the people are leaving the conservative base and so should the political class. They think that clinging to God and guns is costing the GOP support. This thinking may have some validity if the party were actually doing such clinging. The past years, when the party had control of both houses and the White House showed precipitous movement away from these traditional positions causing the fortunes of the party to plummet.

This does not really mean that the nearly two out of five Independent voters are hard core conservatives. It does show, however, that it is difficult to win elections when you alienate your base… your core supporters. The fact that the other party is experiencing a similar shrinkage, in spite of their victories may indicate a wholesale disillusionment with the partisanship and influence of special interests on legislators across the spectrum.

We also see people showing more anger toward their own party than toward the opposition. Both sides, but especially Republicans feel betrayed as they watch politicians renege on campaign promises to the detriment of their supporters and our country. It’s almost enough to give credence to the conspiracy theories of our leaders being controlled by the Council on Foreign Relations or the Bilderbergs.

What I see is something that can be interpreted in one of two ways… and they are just two sides of the same coin. The first thing is for the two major parties to consider their ways, and the first side to get it right will benefit the most. For those Republicans who want to run away from their conservative base, it would be good for them to consider recent elections in the land of fruit, nuts and flakes… Governor Schwarzenegger’s domain. Even in California, with a notoriously liberal electorate, 52% voted that gay marriage was not acceptable. Then, more recently and sometimes by 2 to 1 margins, they voted down major tax increases to finance the already bloated state bureaucracy and give-away programs. Somehow those wanting the Republican party to progress to a more “enlightened” view of big government have not able to explain this reasonably.

As if this were not disturbing enough to the powers that be, the other side of the coin is that this may be the opening needed to create a viable third party. If someone can articulate the frustrations of the people outside the party structure, it could spell trouble for one or both parties. It may not even be at the national level at first as the system is not very friendly to those who would challenge the status quo. However if candidates can take hold of an issue important to the people, but that myopic members of both parties are refusing to deal with, there is hope for success.

I am writing this, not to encourage the creation of another political party, but as a point to ponder for both parties. If they both continue to ignore cries to stop the massive spending which will lead, inevitably, to massive taxing and massive inflation… if both ignore pleas to shut down the border and deal with the crushing expenses of caring for illegal aliens… if they don’t start paying more attention to the folks back home in fly-over country rather than lobbyists and beltway insiders, there may be a rude awakening in store for the big poobahs of both parties.