The Democratic Party has been Sinking for Decades

[Tom Rinaldo]

33. This full story is worth a read

"NERDSCREEN: Rise of the Independents"
http://www.nbcnews.com/meet-the-press/nerdscreen-rise-independents-n386911


"Independence Day comes once a year in the United States, but in politics we are witnessing the rise of an "independents' era." And that unaligned group is reshaping the way we understand the two-party system...

In Florida, always a crucial battleground state, the number of people registered as "other" has grown by more than 1 million since 2005 - far outstripping the growth among Democrats, about 300,000, or Republicans, about 200,000.

In Colorado, another important swing state, "unaffiliated" registrations have grown by about 280,000 since 2005 to become the largest group of voters in the state. That growth is double the increase in Democratic registrations over that period, about 139,000, and far greater than the growth in Republican registrations, which have only climbed by about 1,000.

In North Carolina, the number of "unaffiliated" registered voters has grown by about 700,000 since 2005. Registered Democrats have grown by about 100,000 in that period and Republicans are flat. In New Hampshire and Iowa, two big early primary states, "undeclared" and "no party" voters are the biggest groups...

...Only 29% of those in the Silent Generation self-identified as "independent" in 2014, according to Pew. But the number was 35% among Baby Boomers and 40% among those in Generation X. Among Millennials the figure is enormous, 48%."

I would hold that during a sustained decades long period during which working class and middle class incomes have remained stagnant or more often fallen, while wealth has shifted tremendously to the top 1% of Americans, that the failure of Democratic Party to win increasing numbers to its banner is deeply troubling, particularly among the young who represent the future of the nation.