General Discussion
In reply to the discussion: So is every complaint about Obama wrong? Or some people just don't like to hear them? [View all]nadinbrzezinski
(154,021 posts)and where the conflict comes from. And why if we ever get proportional representation the Dems and republicans will break up into at least three parties, each.
The old FDR democrat who is pro labor, et al, has very little in common with the free market blue dog.
At the same time the old line Ike, or even Reagan Republican has very little in common with religious conservatives.
This is why in the US both parties are coalitions that come together for a short term goal... but coalitions that in time do fall apart as one side rises over the other in influence. In fact, this is why the two parties have switched over the course of decades on who or what they think are priorities.
The democrats in classic European sense have a Social Democratic Party and a Neo Liberal Party, at the very least.
You may say that I have been looking at this very hard in the recent past.
Republicans have a Libertarian wing, a Business wing and the social conservative, culture warriors that barely tolerate the other two.
Way too much inside baseball, I know... but when I look at a candidate these days my first question after the letter is... ok what faction of the party do you belong to?
For the record the Dems also have a smaller, less loud, left libertarian wing.