Open question re: party unity....

[AgentLadyBug]

three-parter, haven't thought specifically about it in great detail, and would love a large variety of responses.....

(a) how, historically, did the republicans achieve such a strongly united party?

(b) why don't the democrats seems to be able to achieve as much unity, by whatever methods?

(c) what are some typical (or not) by which party unity may be achieved?

just curious.....

(it may be that i need to provide details about what i mean by party unity... i'll see from the responses (if any) whether or not this is the case..... the reader is welcome to define it for himself, if inclined...)

[noiretextatique]

1. answers

a) vote suppression and election theft (add to that..."culture war" wedge issues)
b) vote suppression and election theft (add to that...serving too many masters, and doing that very poorly)
c) how about an interesting candidate? the so-called "people's party" keeps fielding one bland white male after another.

[sandnsea]

2. Authoritarian personalities

It isn't in their nature to balk, lining up is what they're all about. We don't want that, but it would be nice if individual Democrats would understand the nature of our party and that it is impossible to get one candidate to appeal to every whim every person has.

[William Seger]

9. I agree

About the only thing that plutocracy, theocracy, fascism, and other right-wing political philosophies have in common is authoritarianism.

[Direckshun]

3. This topic interests me greatly as well.

However, I lack the depth on the subject that others may have. So I too will hang around and see what people say before I dive into the issue.

I do know, however, is that essentially conservatives (read: Republicans) typically prefer for things to stay "as they are." Liberals disagree with much of "how things are" and instead insist upon "how things should be different." I mean, this is a very broad definition of the two ideologies here, but that is the basic idea.

When you argue for keeping things "as they are," there's a lot less diversity from that point of view because it's easy to notice how things are right now. It takes effort and personal perspective, however, to dream of how things should be, and for that reason alone many liberals can differ on their perspectives because every single one has a different one.

We'll see if smarter people can elaborate. :)

[Tina H]

4. my opinion

(a) 9/11. Before that (and maybe again now) Republicans don't seem any more united than Democrats.

(b) any increase in unity comes at a cost in freedom for individuals to have divergent opinions. I think the Democratic Party is doing a fine job balancing these two conflicting imperatives

(c) additional unity can be achieved by making it clear how far you can stray from the party line and still be considered to be in harmony with the party. However, this may not be a good idea. There are advantages to having what people call a big tent.

[Q]

5. The Republican party is like the MAFIA...

...in that anyone unwilling to support the agenda or party line is simply 'eliminated'. They're marginalized, character assassinated or have their careers destroyed.

- The Democratic party practices a kinder version of this...with the DLC as the 'hitmen' who eliminate 'liberals' from the party.

- It's not 'unity' in the GOP as much as it is FEAR that keeps the party together.

[bigbillhaywood]

10. Except not as cool. n/t

[efhmc]

6. Welcome and what a complicated question for an introduction. I can

answer for Texas, at least a little. We were complacent and the entire country and world is now paying the price for laziness. Most Texans are "Christians" and conservative but love someone like Anne Richards who is feisty and funny and tough as nails. She and the rest of us took that babbling pretend Texan at his appearance (not worth a bag of beans, a big fat NOTHING)and no one campaigned the way they should have to make sure he did not win. Anne actually felt that Clinton's "problems" contributed to her demise. I don't think so. It might have added to the problem but was not the whole answer. Many of the repukes I know are nice people but misguided. One person is prochoice and an environmentalist, but she thinks that her party is honorable and is scared out of her mind of "LIBERALS" (Although she holds 2 decidedly liberal thoughts.) Democrats embrace many people who have open minds and differing views and that makes us much less the nazi unit and more the encompassing democracy America was meant to be. Maybe that is why we are not so "united". Baby bush seems to be really changing that concept for us on a daily basis.

[CharlesGroce]

7. Teddy Roosevelt

started the Progressive Party in 1919, I think. It was formed as an alternative to a weak and gutless Democratic Party, which didn't seem to have the principles to stand up the the Republican Party, which had become the party of big business.

Look up the Progressive Party sometime, and read Teddy R's nomination speech. It's been the same old two party trap in this country for coming on 100 years now.

The historical lesson is that things aren't going to really change without third party intervention into the political system.

[uhhuh]

8. answers

a ) Intimidation, and using the power of money in politics to force those who may stray from the party line too far to fall back in line or lose their seats or influence. Black and white thinking.

b ) Dems have an inclusive agenda that is very diffuse. It relys quite a bit on individual causes that even those who support those causes have widely different views on how results could be achieved.
Dems tend to not see things as black and white issues, which leads to debate and strategy questioning which makes it harder to have a solid, uniform message.

c ) Party unity could possibly be achieved by comining several issues that have a related theme, like same sex partnership and pro-choice( Which I saw in evidence through pictures in the march on Washinton last week).

[bigbillhaywood]

11. Grover Norquist, the eminence grise of the American right and mentor

to Karl Rove was a big fan of Lenin, who, if nothing else, was the master of Party discipline. The Nazi Party and Fascist Party were based organizationally on the Bolsheviks. Apparently the Republicans have learned some lessons from these once insurgent, later dictatorial parties, and have tightened discipline. Yes, I know it doesn't exactly answer the question, but I just wanted to bring that point up while on the subject.