The slow, despairing death of the Democrats

[Violet_Crumble]

Watch the result in the Senate: it is likely to change the face of Australian politics, writes Tim Colebatch.

The birth of a political party, like the birth of a baby, is a time of hope, excitement, and heroic self-sacrifice. The death of a political party is much slower, and full of grey despair. Even the heroism of a leader prepared to bungee-jump for the cause is no longer enough.

Labor's decision on Saturday to direct Senate preferences to the Greens in all states does not necessarily mean the death of the Australian Democrats. But it makes it far more likely, and opens the door to a new alignment of forces that will change Australian politics.

<snip>

This is turning into the most important Senate election we have ever seen. First, there is a real possibility that, even if it loses government, the Coalition will have 38 of the 76 seats in the new Senate - and the ability to veto any legislation by a Latham government.

If Labor wins government, the Senate voting in Tasmania, and possibly Queensland, will decide whether or not it can really govern.

But second, after 24 years in which Democrat senators have usually held the balance of power, this election could be the beginning of the end. Power would inevitably pass from the Democrats, a party of negotiators traditionally positioned between the major parties, to the Greens, a party of protest to the left of both.

http://theage.com.au/articles/2004/09/20/1095651245873.html

[kikiek]

1. That title is misleading. Isn't about our democrats.

[Violet_Crumble]

3. It's not misleading and the world's a lot bigger than the US democrats...

Gotta wonder how many Americans would have bothered clicking on it if they knew it wasn't about their democrats :)

Violet...

[Jim Sagle]

7. This is an American website. Just so you know.

[Forkboy]

8. And this is a FOREIGN affairs forum

just so you know.

[Jim Sagle]

9. America is still the default here

just so you know.

[bemildred]

10. America is "foreign"? nt

[Jim Sagle]

11. ?

[bemildred]

13. This is "Foreign Affairs" forum. -- Axiomatic

America is the default here. -- Quote from Jim Sagle
Therefore America is foreign. -- Logical conclusion
QED.

[Jim Sagle]

14. Ain't got no more time for the jibber jabber.

[Forkboy]

15. I pity the fool who dont know what foreign means

[Name removed]

12. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Racenut20]

2. Are you saying the Australian Government would be moving left?

As a USA Democrat, I can only marvel and ask how the hell did you do that? You must not have a few people in Iowa and New Hampshire plus the "media" selecting the candidates or something.

[Violet_Crumble]

4. Not quite...

Whichever party holds the majority in the House of Reps becomes the government, and it's looking a bit promising now that Labor will form the next government. And if the Greens hold the balance of power in the Senate, they can to some extent control what legislation gets passed. Though if both Labor and Liberal band together in the Senate against the Greens and any independents and lone Democrats (and they have voted the same way before), then we're more likely to drift more to the right...

on edit: I thought I'd better add that while a Labor govt would be a move to the left, Mark Latham's from the right-wing faction of the ALP and I suspect he's going to be remarkably conservative on quite a few issues...


Violet...

[Djinn]

5. can't say I'll miss them

The Democrats have been a disaster for too long, the left leaning members should defect to the Greens and the right should rejoin the Lib's and help to drag it back from the corporate-toadying economic rationalist race baiting freaks that have taken over that party in recent years.

I support labour so I'll be voting Greens.

[Matilda]

6. Green is the only way to go.

And I trust that former Democrat Meg Lees will lose her seat this
time around. Thanks for the GST, Meg!