How Our Politics Are Degenerating

TW: This graph is a steller depiction of how our political system is stratifying into an increasingly dysfunctional morass. The alleged "middle" is a sparse field. Yet the Senate in particular with its cloture rules remains beholden to the minority requiring 60 votes to almost anything but the most mundane now. Supermajority rule where little or no middle ground exists is a recipe for stagnation and societal decay.

Flip through it.

U.S. Senate Social Graph, 1991 - Present

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Welcome To the Bright Side Arlen

From Time:
"Pennsylvania Senator Arlen Specter's party switch highlights the growing marginalization of the hard-right Republican Party, now down to two moderates in the Senate. And it highlights the growing dominance of the post–George W. Bush Democratic Party, now just a Minnesota comedian away from a filibuster-proof majority. But let's not overthink: it mostly highlights the desperate opportunism of a 79-year-old five-term Senator staring into the abyss of involuntary retirement. Specter may be right that the GOP left him first, but that's just a face-saving way of admitting he couldn't win its primary"

TW: I have said before I was ambivalent about a Dem cloture proof majority. Despite the evidence to the contrary I believe bi-partisan government is best as it requires both sides to act like adults, participate and ultimately take some responsibility. Now this had not happened up to date since January so perhaps it was time to try a different path. For better or worse the Dems own the government now, although just wait for the Dem factions to emerge. The Blue Dog Dems now hold much power as opposed to a handful of moderate Republicans.

As the quote points out at the end of the day, Specter's switch is about Specter and not much else. All of the implied stuff such as the fall of moderate Republicans etc. were true last week and are still true but Specter does not change that. The Republicans are NOT in a death spiral, molting is ugly but not fatal. American parties adapt, those crowing or fretting about death spirals are hopeful and/or naive.

Generally I do not care for switchers- Phil Gramm, Strom Thurmond, Richard Shelby amongst others are former Democrats (while in Congress not as teenagers). Yet parties do move away from their own politicians the remaining Northeast Senators- Collins and Snowe of Maine- are Dems not Republicans at this point. This is another attribute of a party going through a molting process.

And They Eat Their Own Too

TW: We posted the other day on 2010 Senate elections already evolving with all of the turnover, either Dems heading into the Obama administration or GOP retirements.
http://treylaura.blogspot.com/2009/01/2008-senate-turnover-sets-table-for.html

There is a new entrant, George Voinovich Repub. OH, is retiring. This will make another GOP vulnerable in 2010, although Rob Portman will likely be a strong GOP nominee. Ohio will probably be a good bellweather with the party with the big mo in '10 taking it. Voinovich has been a relative moderate which means perhaps he will be a key swing vote over the next two years.

What stuck me most was the visceral reaction of some on the right to his departure. Apparently moderation is not particularly respected amongst the right-wing nuts.

From Michelle Malkin:
"When I think of George Voinovich, I think of his inane blubbering about the shamnesty debacle. Blubber, blubber. I think of his crusading for the massive auto bailout. And I think of his mortifying meltdown in opposition to John Bolton’ UN ambassador nomination in 2005...Crybaby George. You represent some of the worst aspects of the Republican Party. Won’t be missed"
http://michellemalkin.com/2009/01/11/i-cant-say-ill-miss-george-voinovich/
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