Democrats, Republicans and the Crisis of Legitimacy

ttystikk

Well-Known Member
https://www.counterpunch.org/2018/03/12/democrats-and-the-crisis-of-legitimacy/

Excerpt;
For instance, 71% of eligible voters didn’t vote for the Democratic Party candidate. 73% didn’t vote for Donald Trump (Clinton won the popular vote). Ninety million eligible voters (40%) didn’t cast a ballot at all. Why it makes sense to present outcomes in terms of what voters didn’t do is (1) the duopoly Parties control which candidates and programs are put forward and (2) voters have fled the duopoly Party system rather than simply switching Parties.
 

potroastV2

Well-Known Member
Well, I'm certainly not as smart as CounterPunchers, but they are missing the obvious.

Voters were hammered on for years that Hillary would win, she was a shoe-in, and most voters were perfectly happy with her being Prez. So there was no reason for them to vote, their wishes were being met without even voting. That way, they had time to stop at the drive-thru for another coffee.

However, it's only obvious to people who are actually paying attention. :lol:

:mrgreen:
 

ttystikk

Well-Known Member
Well, I'm certainly not as smart as CounterPunchers, but they are missing the obvious.

Voters were hammered on for years that Hillary would win, she was a shoe-in, and most voters were perfectly happy with her being Prez. So there was no reason for them to vote, their wishes were being met without even voting. That way, they had time to stop at the drive-thru for another coffee.

However, it's only obvious to people who are actually paying attention. :lol:

:mrgreen:
Why don't you read the article before assuming you know what it says?

Is it perhaps because you fear its implications?

The biggest single bloc of American voters are unaffiliated. That's indicative of a fundamental failure of parties and policy, not merely a meaningless anomaly.
 

ttystikk

Well-Known Member
Fiscally conservative and socially liberal. A third party that plays in that space could do all right.
Progressives like me think that ours is the platform that would attract the unaffiliated voters.

The corporate right and the corporate 'lite' 'left' have proven they do not, hence the results highlighted in the article.
 

Bugeye

Well-Known Member
Progressives like me think that ours is the platform that would attract the unaffiliated voters.

The corporate right and the corporate 'lite' 'left' have proven they do not, hence the results highlighted in the article.
If we had 10 trillion less in debt I'd be with you.
 

Padawanbater2

Well-Known Member
"fiscally conservative" is usually met with cuts in social programs and tax cuts that benefit the rich sold as lower taxes for everyone. I'm skeptical every time I hear a politician say that. I think cuts in other areas, like drug enforcement and the military budget would be nice, that would be a popular position to hold
 

UncleBuck

Well-Known Member
I like Bernie, but I never got the feeling he was for smaller government. How are progressives for cutting size of government?
obama got us out of recession while shrinking the size of government, unlike every other president before him.

but he was black so that was a non-starter for you
 

ttystikk

Well-Known Member
"fiscally conservative" is usually met with cuts in social programs and tax cuts that benefit the rich sold as lower taxes for everyone. I'm skeptical every time I hear a politician say that. I think cuts in other areas, like drug enforcement and the military budget would be nice, that would be a popular position to hold
I think Progressive taxation on corporations and the wealthy would also be an eminently popular, not to mention fiscally responsible position.

It has the advantage of actually working as advertised to bring prosperity to a vastly larger share of the population.
 

Bugeye

Well-Known Member
"fiscally conservative" is usually met with cuts in social programs and tax cuts that benefit the rich sold as lower taxes for everyone. I'm skeptical every time I hear a politician say that. I think cuts in other areas, like drug enforcement and the military budget would be nice, that would be a popular position to hold
Cut here, cut there, I'll support it. Hard decisions are needed.
 

Bugeye

Well-Known Member
Yep. Like what could be done with even half of Jeff Bezos' wealth that isn't being funded now.
I don't believe any tax strategy can long term collect more than 20% of GDP, so ultimately people must decide what they want to fund at the trade off of something else.
 
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