Who passed-out the crazy pills?
libs + dems moving the democrat party so far to the "left" that they chase the blue dogs into some centrist GOP is a reasonable possiblity
Hahaha... no.
While the blue dogs may leave the Democratic Party, it won't be because the party heads left. There is no signs of that happening. The left of the Democratic Party isn't about to chase away blue dogs out of ideological purity.
In the U.S. two party system, there is a right wing party (Republicans) and a centrist party (Democrats). Since there is no left wing gravitational force, I think the American politics always is pulled rightwards.
When the blue dogs leave, it will be because the pull right to the right is electorally safe again; meaning the Republican Party becomes less social issue bent and more corporate and moneyed interests bent.
Of course this all assumes the U.S. will survive as a nation long enough.
less social issue bent and more corporate and moneyed interests bent.
Is this even possible, without putting everyone in uniform?
SudanTribune article : Jarch appoints Larry C. Johnson as Vice-President, J. Peter Pham as Senior Adviser
I am pleased to announce that Mr. Larry C. Johnson will serve as Vice President of Jarch. Mr. Johnson is in charge of intelligence and security for the Company.
FT.com / Africa - US investor buys Sudanese warlord's land
A US businessman backed by former CIA and state department officials says he has secured a vast tract of fertile land in south Sudan from the family of a notorious warlord, in post-colonial Africa's biggest private land deal. Philippe Heilberg, a former Wall Street banker and chairman of New York-based Jarch Capital, told the Financial Times he had gained leasehold rights to 400,000 hectares of land - an area the size of Dubai - by taking a majority stake in a company controlled by the son of Paulino Matip [former commander of the SPLA].
Philippe Heilberg, a former Wall Street banker and chairman of New York-based Jarch Capital, told the Financial Times he had gained leasehold rights to 400,000 hectares of land - an area the size of Dubai - by taking a majority stake in a company controlled by the son of Paulino Matip [former commander of the SPLA].
Oh, and they have hired Blackwater to train their militias... "Ce qui vient au monde pour ne rien troubler ne mérite ni égards ni patience." René Char
once a spook, always a spook.
(even if your wife is blond and sold a story to Hollyweird.) "Life shrinks or expands in proportion to one's courage." - Anaïs Nin
"I would say it's [NY-23] the tip of the spear," said Dick Armey, the former GOP House majority leader who now serves as chairman of FreedomWorks, an organization that has been closely aligned with the tea party movement. "We are the biggest source of energy in American politics today."
So the PP seem set on their course, sailing off to La-La Land.
I go back to my original assessment: the Tea Baggers are driving this. The party leadership and elected officials in both the GOP and DP are playing catch-up in a political (and economic and social and so on) environment that has completely shifted under their feet in the last five years. Assuming the Baggers follow through, as they seem to be doing, the GOP targets of the Baggers are going to have to make a decision before the next filing deadline:
Do I run to the Right, risking the votes I NEED to win from the Center? Do I run to the Left forgetting the GOP base and almost certainly lose the primary? Do I use my incumbency and all the benefits of incumbency and do A Liberman?
I note Liberman was able to make his decision to run as an Independent due to Connecticut's election laws. Some states have a Sore Loser Law and that option isn't available once the primary has decided the parties nominee.
I submit my "comfortable resolution" is, as of today, the likely resolution. I just can't accept the Tea Baggers have enough demographic clout to win state-wide elections outside the South. The polling isn't there for them.
Last, I want to point out the "comfortable resolution" isn't what I would like to see. In my projected re-alignment there's no room for a true Left party to emerge. :-(
there's no room for a true Left party to emerge
Agreed.
Right now there's no There, there viz a viz a Left Party.
not just Kucinich left, more Bernie Sanders left. That seems to be the centre of the US population when they're asked about a lot of issues. But by the time the media get their teeth into public opinion, a whole load of turkeys are voting for christmas.
So, frankly, the left we're normally discussing, which is Netroots left isn't anything I want abandoned cos it ain't even halfway to the American heartland. keep to the Fen Causeway
Of his gubernatorial bids, [Upton] Sinclair remarked in 1951: "The American People will take Socialism, but they won't take the label. I certainly proved it in the case of EPIC. Running on the Socialist ticket I got 60,000 votes, and running on the slogan to 'End Poverty in California' I got 879,000. I think we simply have to recognize the fact that our enemies have succeeded in spreading the Big Lie. There is no use attacking it by a front attack, it is much better to out-flank them."
I do see a potential for a Left Party gaining Congressional representation in Congressional districts and state wide offices -- good ol' Senator Bernie is a case in point here.
Problems: the Left isn't organized enough to have the money raising structures in place; the Left doesn't have the communication/media structures in place; there's nobody, that I know of, with the required drive, persistence, and determination to put the 10 to 15 years of work in that needs to be done to pull a Sanders - if you DO know of someone, please tell me.
