America Now Has Three Major Political Parties

[kpete]

Effectively there are now three parties, three House caucuses:

-- Regular Democrats (then 188 Members)

-- Business Republicans (85 Members)

-- Birch Society Republicans (151 Members)

These Birchers are anti-government, anti-immigration, anti-compromise, and opposed to taxes in all forms and appearances. The term "Birch Society" is used because "Tea Party" is a misnomer. This Bircher caucus is not a creature of right-leaning populism.

The Koch family were the main backers of the John Birch Society. They remain the prime financial backers for Bircher Republicans. Ideological slogans and communal paranoia define their campaigns.

MORE:
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2013/01/04/1176367/-America-Now-Has-a-Three-Major-Political-Parties

[coalition_unwilling]

1. Bookmarking for later perusal of DKos story. Wonder if Dems also have a fundamental

divide (Progressives vs. Blue Dogs)?

[Jackpine Radical]

2. That was what I was thinking.

Unless you classify them as Regular Republicans…

[UnrepentantLiberal]

5. Yep.

Four parties would be a dream come true. Global corporations will fight tooth and nail to keep that from happening.

[socialist_n_TN]

8. I agree, at least as far as representation goes..........

A Progressive Worker's Party would suit me. Then let the Dems try and co-opt them. To do so they would have to go left resulting in even MORE representation of beliefs.

[leveymg]

3. Three Parties: Democrats: @90; Business Demoplicans @175; Birchers 151

Here the generic breakdown: Far-Left Party (maybe 5), Center-Left party (85); Center-Right Party (175), Far-Right Party (151).

Anyone notice the skew there?

[UnrepentantLiberal]

7. Not far-left. Just left.

[leveymg]

12. Ok, I'll compromise - True Left. But, you can count 'em on one hand.

G-d bless 'em.

[cheapdate]

4. This is a whole new way to look at the political situation. Powerful and worriesome.

[lastlib]

6. I've thought this for a couple of years....

The "business Republicans" are the Republicans of the post-war, pre-Reagan era. The "Birch Society Republicans" are the pre-Coolidge Republicans that regained ascendancy with Reagan, and later, Gingrich and Bush the Lesser. They are defined mostly by paranoia and fear, with a fixation on property rights and resistance to change in any form. Racism is a common denominator, which reinforces their fear of change.

[PennsylvaniaMatt]

9. I laugh when people criticize the "two party" system....

...and think more things could get accomplished if there were more parties or more independents. The Tea Party isn't even technically a third political party, yet look at the gridlock the nation has suffered over the past 2 years because of their influence within the Republican Party. Now imagine if there was something similar within the Democratic Party - maybe the "Iced Tea Party". We would technically have 4 political parties and would would have a system where coalitions would have to be formed to gain a majority - sort of like what happened in Great Britain with the Conservatives forming a coalition with the Liberal Democrats with the Labour Party in the minority. Plus, no Presidential candidate would receive a 50% majority of the vote in a Presidential election if it were a 4 way race.

I have noticed over the past several years that many of those who were "Business Republicans" 10 years ago are now becoming increasingly "Birch Society Republicans."

[We People]

10. Dem spinoff could also be either the "Green Tea Party" or "Loose Tea Party" n/t

The "Bircher Corporatists" or "Fascist Tea Partiers" would be appropriate for the RWNJs also.

[A Simple Game]

11. You don't think the Republican party has had accomplishments the last four years?

I think they have followed their agenda fairly well. All we hear is "we would like to compromise, but we have the tea party to contend with." "Can you move a little more to the right and help us out?" Seems to have worked for them. Gridlock, of course there was gridlock, that's what they wanted.

I really don't understand why the progressive caucus didn't/don't do the same thing.

[leveymg]

13. The reason the Dems weren't effective in opposition is the leadership was willing to give Bush

just about everything he asked for, and no Democrat has ever been punished for being too Right-wing and eager to compromise. Just the opposite.