Why there is no such thing as a "Moderate" Republican...

[Totally Committed]

I found the following chart disheartening, but it certainly dies explain an awful lot. While it does show an bothersome shift of our Party from Left to Right over the years, it also shows and even further move to the Right by the other side, taling even their "moderate" members into the realmo of where only the far-Right used to be.

The following diagram compares the political environment in the U.S. during the FDR Era with the political environment today during the BUSH II Era.



Back in FDR's time, the center of gravity of the Democratic Party (D) was Liberal; the center of gravity of the Republican Party (R) was Conservative. There was an overlap where the Moderates lived.

Since then there has been a Republican onslaught with articles, books, commentators, unethical political operatives, radio personalities, TV productions and think tanks lampooning and demonizing liberals. They stamped the media as being "liberal," as though it were a dirty word. They even went so far as to call liberals traitors.

Republicans worked so hard that they dragged the center of gravity of the Republican Party (R) from the Conservative point and closer to the Radical Right. In this environment, the center of the Democratic Party (D) was pulled from the Liberal point and closer to the Moderate position.

>snip

A vote for a Republican lawmaker is a vote for extremism of the Right. A vote for a Democratic lawmaker is a vote for moderation.

Excerpted from:

http://www.watchblog.com/democrats/archives/004314.html

So, for all those "moderates" here, please note that you also are further to the Right than this Party has ever been, and I can't help but think it's more a matter of cynical "triangulation" than of a true ethos.

I didn't agree with most of the rest of the blog entry this excerpt came from, but thought the chart was very educational.

TC

[ThomCat]

1. I'd love to see some data that backs that up.

But even without that data, I think it's obvious that it's true. x(

[Totally Committed]

3. The blog this came from is absolutely without data, and

the replies he's fielding mostly mention that. But, I did include the graph, because as you said -- it's obvious it's true. It "rings" true, and was used to help people visualize the shift to the Right someof us have been talking about for awhile here.

I hope someone who is good with statistical analysis and Googling, takes this subject seriously, and further documents it for both of us. I, too, would love to see the data!

TC

[BootinUp]

2. No question their media strategy

has been very effective. But I would also say this:

The media is made of people.

People in general were open to the message of the radical right for a complex set of reasons having to do with changes in the workd economy, changes in social norms and civil rights.

The number of people in the media spouting the hate filled rhetoric grew.

It combined with Pastors reinforcing it in Christian conservative Churches

Some in the Catholic Church community was also very open to parts of the message.

All that plus the monetary rewards to the upper tax brackets.

Brilliant.

[kenny blankenship]

4. There are loud, extremist Republicans--and then there are the quieter type

who are just waiting for the coup to be announced and for smoke to rise above the Presidential Palace. Then you see there's only one kind of Republican.

[Totally Committed]

5. I agree...

totally!

TC