The Moose experiences a harmonic convergence with a columnist. "Extremist voices are too influential in both parties and the rest of us - in the vast center - are treated as irrelevant.When either party controls everything, it ignores the wishes of the majority. A monopoly of power isn't democracy... "Both parties are corrupt, dishonest, arrogant, hypocritical, intellectually vacuous and utterly unconcerned with the fate of the average American - you. Think you or your kids matter one bit to Howard Dean or Karl Rove? Meanwhile, the big-money, over-organized nature of our contemporary system prevents the emergence of the viable third party we so desperately need...
The Moose doesn't know about you, but election day can't come soon enough. He clearly expects it to be a very good day for the donkey. The Moose would be a wealthy mammal if he owned the Prozac concession at the Republican National Committee. As a matter of fact, the Moose is entertaining the notion of operating a Republican Suicide Prevention Hotline.
It really is that bad for the elephant. Take away their belts and sharp objects.
However, the donkey should not enjoy any delusions of grandeur. It is not as if this election will be a resounding endorsement of the Democrats. The electorate is merely firing the incompetent, corrupt incumbents. Republicans are being punished because their love of power was greater than their adherence to principle. Alas, no more junkets to the Marianas or St. Andrews. And it is divinely ironic that GOP rule ends on a sex related scandal.
Moreover, at a time when the polarization politics of the GOP is imploding, many in the Democratic Party are attempting to imitate the Norquist/Rove model. The electorate is probably not searching for a left wing version of DeLayism. Voters are looking for solutions that are not necessarily anchored in rigid ideological formulations.
The question for both parties is whether either of them can construct coalitions that enable them to govern from the center. Base politics rule, and the American people are becoming increasingly fed up with the pandering to the margins of political life.
Ralph Peters wrote a column the other day that the Moose thought generally, if not entirely, captured his perspective on the election - here.
Peters wrote,
Nail it to the door, Brother Peters!
We desperately need a Reformation in our politics. The politics of polarization deeply fail our Republic.
However, the Moose is not despondent. As he has indicated, the great good news is that the Vital Center will likely hold the balance of power in Congress next year.
And the real competition for '08 will be which party can claim the center.
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