All the attention is on the crises surrounding the Republicans because of the possibility that Trump will get impeached. What everyone’s missing is that the Democrats are an even bigger mess because the corporatist wing still hasn’t made nice with the progressive base of the party who supported Bernie Sanders but didn’t vote in the general election.
Democrats Are An Even Bigger Mess Than the Republicans
Ted Rall
Ted Rall is a syndicated political cartoonist for Andrews McMeel Syndication and WhoWhatWhy.org and Counterpoint. He is a contributor to Centerclip and co-host of "The Final Countdown" talk show on Radio Sputnik. He is a graphic novelist and author of many books of art and prose, and an occasional war correspondent. He is, recently, the author of the graphic novel "2024: Revisited."
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Beautiful, Ted – epitomises why the Democratic party isn’t going to make it. It’s last gasp as a meaningful alternative to the Republicans was its rejection of Mr Sanders and its choice of Ms Clinton. «What else can you do ? Vote for Pence ?», indeed !…
Henri
I still maintain that Sanders’ biggest mistake was running as a Democrat instead of an Independent.
His second biggest mistake was to surrender before the votes were in.
Like I said, trying to pull these people together is like trying to corral cats, which actually might be easier, because cats have longer attention spans and memories. 🙂
Five parties in 2020 – watch for it.
5 parties? Are you kidding? 🙂 To accommodate everyone, they’d have to abandon the 2-party concept entirely and switch to elections that more closely resemble what all the other “advanced” countries do – with run-offs, like France, etc. Amuri-cans are simply too ignorant and full of spite and hate to even act civilized. We’ve got tons of “Lone Rangers” and Tuck Buckfords all over the place across our cuntry. Intelligent and civilized “discussion” only happens a bit here on this website, while the vast majority acts according to their own specific agendas and personal favorite bubbles and puppetmasters. When the going get tough, the tough blame others, without any empathy for or consideration of the truth.
> Are you kidding?
I’m not kidding, although I may be dreaming. The dems *could* split into neo-libs and social democrats; the GOP into tea party, neo-con, and true conservatives.
It’s obvious the system is broken, and even the sheeple are starting to realize it. Perhaps we’ll fix it before it collapses. Or not.
@ CrazyH –
“The dems *could* split into neo-libs and social democrats; the GOP into tea party, neo-con, and true conservatives.”
*
I hope you’re right about multiple parties who could form coalitions as in other countries.
But what advice would you give to those who (like me) are registered in a state (Arkansas) that will not recognize any party other than Republican or Democrat?
I attempted to register as “Independent” and the officials told me that it wasn’t an option.
What?
The dems *could* split into neo-libs and social democrats; the GOP into tea party, neo-con, and true conservatives.
The GOP could split into Trump!, tea party of May 2014 patriot division, tea party of May 2014 true patriot division, evangelical party, born-again evangelical party, neo-con light, neo-con cum neo-lib, proto-fascist neo-con, full fascist neo-con, and true conservatives (I guess).
The dems could split into neo-libs, doubled-down neo-libs, double-plus-good neo-libs, social democrat light, sort-a social democrat but still in love with Reagan, Warren democrats, Sanders democrats who support Isreal, Sanders democrats who support Palestine, Sanders Democrats who want to avoid splitting over Israel/Palestine, and the Democratic Sandernistas who want to avoid splitting over Isreal/Palestine.
@derlehrer – I cannot fix your problem, however in one state of residence I personally registered as a Whig when they insisted I choose a party.
@A5 – I share your dream, but I don’t have much hope that it will last until I wake up.
«But what advice would you give to those who (like me) are registered in a state (Arkansas) that will not recognize any party other than Republican or Democrat?» I am given to understand, mein verehrter Lehrer, that there is a law in the sovereign state of Arkansas (and in six other states as well) which prohibits atheists from holding public office there. But while you might be an (as yet unregistered) independent, I’d certainly not want to go so far as to suspect you of atheism !… 😉
Henri
@ mhenriday –
“But while you might be an (as yet unregistered) independent, I’d certainly not want to go so far as to suspect you of atheism !…”
*
May I make a confession? (Oh, wait — I’m not Catholic!)
Be that as it may, I declared myself agnostic for a number of years. A few years ago, I discovered the Brights and became one. It’s the only thing that really makes any sense to me, especially observing how much religion has failed mankind.
«May I make a confession? (Oh, wait — I’m not Catholic!)» Not to worry, mein verehrter Lehrer, the Church of Sweden, which is an Evangelical Lutheran Church (although it may not be recognised as such in Arkansas, given it’s permissive attitude to homosexuals and female priests (the current archbishop is a woman) also employs confessio (without relics, of course)….
Besides, sooner or later, we tend to confess to all our manifold sins on Ted’s site – hope he doesn’t decided to attempt to monetise it !… 😉
Henri
it’s → its
Henri
Andreas, what are you about ? Are you trying to resurrect the 17th century sejm walny, with its liberum veto ? Wow – that would make Washington even more fun to watch – were it not for the fact that the country possesses a nuclear arsenal….
Henri
It may be that it has already collapsed – and given us an incompetent man-baby for president – the politicians, who will continue to try to retain and maintain the illusion of a 2-party system, will struggle to corral the divided factions and maintain their income, power and positions as best they can around this corrupt, spin-centered tower of babel. Them “sheeple” not be knowing much anywho or anyhow, and they be getting mighty riled at anyone who suggests they might be ignorant, selfish buttheads.
Over on gocomics, about half the comments were that Mr Rall is an anti-American traitor for not supporting the best candidate for president the US has ever had, and even if she wasn’t perfect (she was, but if Mr Rall was such an idiot he couldn’t see that she was perfect) she was still far better than Trump.
I have problems with that analysis. Candidate Trump promised peace with Russia and Syria. St Hillary promised regime change in Syria starting on Day 1 (it took about 3 months in Libya, but she’s learned, so it should have been quicker with Syria). Putin said, ‘NO!’
St Hillary said she wanted a fair and just peace. If Putin would just withdraw from Syria and the Crimea and the Ukraine, we’d have peace. If Putin didn’t, the war would be all his fault, and he’d lose. I’m sure St HIllary would have declared a ‘no fly zone’ of the ‘we came, we saw, he died’ kind in Syria on Day !. Was Putin just bluffing? We’ll never know (and I’m glad: I didn’t want to find out).
So now we have Trump, and his speech in Saudi sounded GREAT. He told those attending the meeting in Saudi Arabia that the US sold them about $half a trillion of ‘beautiful weapons,’ and it was the job of the Saudi coalition, NOT the US, to eliminate terror in the Middle East. I really, really want to see the Saudi coalition, with $half a trillion or more of ‘beautiful US weapons’ go against Russia and Iran. I’m pretty sure that will eliminate most (if not all) of the terror in the world.
«Candidate Trump promised peace with Russia and Syria. St Hillary promised regime change in Syria starting on Day 1 (it took about 3 months in Libya, but she’s learned, so it should have been quicker with Syria).» The problem as I see it, Michael, is that as president, Mr Trump is basically carrying out Ms Clinton’s policy in Southwest Asia in general and Syria in particular (while being less verbally confrontative vis-à-vis the Russian leadership). One of the conclusions I draw from this is that the making of US foreign – and in particular – military policy is not within the purview of the US president ; the latter can accede to the policy, but not change it (otherwise than in unimportant details). Given the belligerent nature of that policy and the results we’ve seen this last decade and a half, my impression is that we’re fucked (with or without the benefit of «golden showers»)….
Henri
Wait… Elizabeth Warren is a “kick-ass leftie”?
«Wait… Elizabeth Warren is a “kick-ass leftie”?» Everything depends upon one’s frame of reference, as the good Albert (taking a page from Galileo) taught us. Keep in mind, Oz, that the chap portrayed by Ted self-identifies as a Democrat….
Henri