To understand America’s
two parties, you must first understand what they are not. They are not, as is
often believed, bound by a common ideology. Neither the Democrats, nor the
Republicans have a manifesto, or 10-point agenda for America.
Even the Republican’s Contract with America,
as history so eloquently proved, was hardly the holy writ of Republican
ideology.
America’s
two main parties are best understood as massive, dynamic power blocks. Though
these blocks go by the names “republicans†and “democratsâ€; their names are
hardly relevant.
These blocks are comprised of various business, social, and
ideological interests that flow freely between the two parties over the course
of decades. For example, Republicans often claim they are “the party of Lincolnâ€.
Yet, the party of Lincoln, the “Republicans†was largely a pro-abolition
coalition centered in the north. Where as today’s Republican party is largely
supported by evangelical southerners who’ve united around the advancement of
regressive social policy[1]. Though the abolitionists may be the great grand
cousins of the abolitionists, I’d argue they are the grand children of the
prohibitionists. In addition, the “yellow dog†Democrats, which defected to the
Republican party during the great social movements of the 50s and 60s,
represent a blatant pro-KKK demography. To put it another way, the very
Democrats whose political roots are the opposition of abolition are now
Republicans. “Party of Lincoln†my
ass.
