Is the Democratic Party on the verge of becoming irrelevant in American politics?

This last election was very overwhelmingly in favor of the RNC, more so than I would have thought. I expected the senate and house to become more evenly divided instead the DNC lost even more seats.

Has the DNC�s drift to the far left put it in the position of being split or even superceded by a more conservative third party? Are the internal pressures of this defeat enough to possibly rupture the fragile alliance of special interest groups that make up the DNC?

If the democrats face another defeat like this in 2008 we�re looking at the possibility of the RNC have super-majorities in both the house and senate (although the senate is most important). If that occurs the DNC will be unable to block any actions the RNC might wish to take.

With a Bush win now appearing inevitable, the Supreme Court will likely shift to the right for the next 20-30 years. (I�m assuming 2 appointees in the next 4 years�a distinct possibility). This makes any gains by the DNC in 2008 even more irrelevant.

Time for the DNC to wake up. Throw out the Clinton hacks that have been running the show for the last 12 years and do a reality check or face extinction.

Jayzuss.

The really funny thing is that here in the UK people were spouting this crap after 4 election wins in a row by the British conservative party.....not just this rather unimpressive 'just about, if that and only just happened' 2.

But as is always the case with these guys (they can't help themselves once the 'always win' mentality sets in) they ended up taking the p*ss so badly that they were thrown out after a straight 18 years in a massive landslide in 1997.

Then, having utterly failed to understand why they were trounced so badly and done little to change their 'Thatcherite conservatism', they were smashed again by another near record landslide in 2001.

Now having changed very little again (they seem to think if they wait it out their turn will 'just' come around again), and having installed a Thatcherite ultra leader, they are set to be battered very heavily yet again in spring/summer 2005.

That means they have been ejected from power now for nearly 8yrs and no prospect of it whatsoever for another 4 or 5 .......and most commentators in the UK would be unlikely to give any grounds to sggest things are set to change beyond that.

So, gloat if you must but just remember that even far more impressively 'winning' political parties have seen it all come to nothing.

.....and as for gloating about the direction your Supreme Court is heading?

Yeah great. The Christian Taliban States of America dawns, wonderful.

Are any political parties really relevant in a Theocracy???

We won't have to worry about that before long.

I am soooo depressed!!

We will be the Christian States of America.

Jerry Falwell will be heading our Educational System.

Prayer for everyone!!!!

(but only to the Lord Jesus Christ)

If anything good can come of this election, maybe it will bring Jesus back to straighten this mess OUT!!!!

Sminkey's right... it may look like the DNC is done for but that's not the case. Things will remain status quo until the status quo becomes so bad that the RNC gets thrown out. Now, the damage that will result in the interim will be incalculable but that seems to be the way we work here in the US.

It looks like this is going to be a Trifecta! The republicans will have control of the White House, the House of Rep., and the Senate. But look deeper. Remember that many of the Supreme Court Justices are getting older. Take Rehnquist for example. The Republicans will have a much easier time of putting whomever they wish into the Supreme court now.

The democrats need to come up with a better plan. You can't put up a Yankee as a nominee and expect to win the South. Clinton was from Arkansas and swept the South so why can't they see the obvious. If this comes down to Jeb Bush and Hillary in 2008 then the Dems will suffer another defeat. She's seen as a New York senator now.

Sminkeypinkey:

The problem with your analysis is that Europe has an entrenched liberal / socialist tradition. Here in America we have no such tradition; it is an aberration that is slowing being wiped out of our political system.

I still maintain this was a disastrous election for the DNC. They control almost nothing. The RNC has majorities at almost all levels of government. The last DNC president to be elected with a majority was (gulp) Jimmy Carter.

I am a Republican and a conservative but this obvious weakness of the DNC worries me. If the plan is Hillary in 08 (a candidate I submit cannot possibly win) then the DNC has a real chance of losing even more ground.

The problem is that the Democratic Party (& I'm a registered Dem) don't have the stones anymore to take a chance & stand up for what they supposedly believe in.

Yeah, Bush is a joke--but he operates from his heart & he's genuine & he sticks to what he feels & he doesn't give a damn if it p**ses off half the country. Bush says flat-out, "abortion is wrong," "gay marriage is wrong," "I'm a proud devout Christian," etc.

Now, we can complain (rightfully so) about how GWB has no right to mix his personal religious beliefs with policy like that. But the truth is, elections are not won based on serious intellectual debate & analysis of the facts (though they should be!). Elections are won by who has the best "character," who is the most interesting & engaging person to watch on this particular television sitcom (that happens to be my country God help us!).

The Dems should have taken a chance on someone like Howard Dean, who was plenty interesting & would have given Bush a run for his money--looking back on it, what did they have to lose?

I'm not angry at Bush today, or even the misguided people who voted for him. My anger lies squarely on the Democratic Party.

The problem is that the Democratic Party (& I'm a registered Dem) don't have the stones anymore to take a chance & stand up for what they supposedly believe in.

Yeah, Bush is a joke--but he operates from his heart & he's genuine & he sticks to what he feels & he doesn't give a damn if it p**ses off half the country. Bush says flat-out, "abortion is wrong," "gay marriage is wrong," "I'm a proud devout Christian," etc.

Now, we can complain (rightfully so) about how GWB has no right to mix his personal religious beliefs with policy like that. But the truth is, elections are not won based on serious intellectual debate & analysis of the facts (though they should be!). Elections are won by who has the best "character," who is the most interesting & engaging person to watch on this particular television sitcom (that happens to be my country God help us!).

The Dems should have taken a chance on someone like Howard Dean, who was plenty interesting & would have given Bush a run for his money--looking back on it, what did they have to lose?

I'm not angry at Bush today, or even the misguided people who voted for him. My anger lies squarely on the Democratic Party.

The problem is that the Democratic Party (& I'm a registered Dem) don't have the stones anymore to take a chance & stand up for what they supposedly believe in.

Yeah, Bush is a joke--but he operates from his heart & he's genuine & he sticks to what he feels & he doesn't give a damn if it p**ses off half the country. Bush says flat-out, "abortion is wrong," "gay marriage is wrong," "I'm a proud devout Christian," etc.

Now, we can complain (rightfully so) about how GWB has no right to mix his personal religious beliefs with policy like that. But the truth is, elections are not won based on serious intellectual debate & analysis of the facts (though they should be!). Elections are won by who has the best "character," who is the most interesting & engaging person to watch on this particular television sitcom (that happens to be my country God help us!).

The Dems should have taken a chance on someone like Howard Dean, who was plenty interesting & would have given Bush a run for his money--looking back on it, what did they have to lose?

I'm not angry at Bush today, or even the misguided people who voted for him. My anger lies squarely on the Democratic Party.

The problem is that the Democratic Party (& I'm a registered Dem) don't have the stones anymore to take a chance & stand up for what they supposedly believe in.

Yeah, Bush is a joke--but he operates from his heart & he's genuine & he sticks to what he feels & he doesn't give a damn if it p**ses off half the country. Bush says flat-out, "abortion is wrong," "gay marriage is wrong," "I'm a proud devout Christian," etc.

Now, we can complain (rightfully so) about how GWB has no right to mix his personal religious beliefs with policy like that. But the truth is, elections are not won based on serious intellectual debate & analysis of the facts (though they should be!). Elections are won by who has the best "character," who is the most interesting & engaging person to watch on this particular television sitcom (that happens to be my country God help us!).

The Dems should have taken a chance on someone like Howard Dean, who was plenty interesting & would have given Bush a run for his money--looking back on it, what did they have to lose?

I'm not angry at Bush today, or even the misguided people who voted for him. My anger lies squarely on the Democratic Party.

Originally posted by MrNice
Sminkeypinkey:

The problem with your analysis is that Europe has an entrenched liberal / socialist tradition. Here in America we have no such tradition; it is an aberration that is slowing being wiped out of our political system.

- Well we shall see.

I am simply saying that that is exactly the manner in which 'our' conservatives spoke right up untill they got thrown out of office for a generation..... or 2....or 3.

The DNC for years has counted on the oppressed to give them political victory, promising social programs, free this and free that, min wage increases, rent control on and on pacifying them all the while never giving them the opportunity to break the chain of oppression and go out and grab their own piece of the American dream.

The Dems offered handouts and always used fear (the Reps will take away all we have given you ) to secure this base. Don't forget who destroyed the social security program by opening up benefits to everyone and their mother when this was originally a very good program to supplement seniors in their retirement years.


Americans are not that naive to accept what the Dems are handing them, and a shift in these votes are dooming the party.

The oppressed gave the Dems control of Wash for years and never saw their status improving, sure the Dems threw them a bone now and then , but they never gave them the opportunities to succeed which is what they want.

In order for the DNC to come back to prominence, they must throw out the old tactics, treat Americans as intelligent citizens and offer a new and clear message of hope and opportunity to what once was a guarranteed base.

Closer to the center, where the majority of Americans sit, and stop pandering to the far left.

If the Dems do not start to overhaul their message, do not be surprised if the Libertarian party makes huge strides in the coming decade as Americans look for another choice when they hit the polls.

That said the Republicans are in a "put up or shut up" period, having control of Washington, their agenda must go through and the results must be seen fairly quickly, before the next elections in two years, the biggest roadblock to progress (Daschle) has been eliminated so now it is time to get the people's work done. Americans will not put up with 2 more years of failed progress (IE: health care, tort reform, education, energy, employment etc...)

Once again, if the Reps fail in these two years, the Libertarians should benefit.


Just my two cents... I am just relying on my memory for most of the Dem bashing and could be off a bit but these are only my views on the Dems failures of the past few elections.

BTW: I almost voted Lib this time but did not agree with the candidate's plan for withdrawal of our troops, but agreed with alot of the Lib platform, hopefully this movement can form a strong central party from which to choose from in the near future, I am sure that most would agree that we could benefit with a strong 3 party choice in future elections...

I do think that the Democrats are in serious trouble. No political party lasts forever (remember the Federalists? Whigs?) and it may be nearing the end for the Democrats.

Who would replace them? Well, the Republicans have been leaning more and more left over the years -- I can see, in the future, the Republicans being the liberals the Democrats used to be (the Democrats seem more like socialists now), and the Libertarians being the conservatives the Republicans once were. There will still be two parties, one conservative and one liberal, as there always has been. Such is the way of life in politics.

The Republicans now control all three branches of government -- Bush is President, both houses of Congress have a Republican majority, and the two together will likely appoint and approve four Supreme Court judges. This election will likely effect the course of U.S. history for the next 25 years, at least.

I forsee a bloodbath in the Democratic party -- heads will likely roll, and there could even be a political coup d'etat within the different factions of the party. Will the Democrats survive? I don't know, but it looks more and more like Carter and Clinton were the Democrats' swan song after each election...

I really wish the Libertarian party would focus on grass-roots activity instead of stupicly aiming for a presidentail election they have no hope of winning.