A 40 year drift to the right

...by the 2 major political parties has indeed left a vacuum that in the 1932 was filled by Democrats, Farm/Labor, Communist, Liberal and Socialists parties.

I have long contended that 90% of Americans, when it comes to bread and butter issues like jobs, putting a roof over the heads of ones family and putting good food on the table, are all on the same page. I like to call this the center. In the US there is no major political party that represents the center.

With both major political parties well to the right, the GOP the most extreme, many pundits have openly thought that the GOP will self destruct. Many of these are true blue Hillary supporters who think that's a wonderful thing. After all when you utterly demolish your opponent, thats a good thing, right?

If the GOP truly does fracture and finds its political influence significantly diminished, that leaves the Democratic party as the only conservative party in the US. As many on C99 understand, this leaves a huge vacuum that encompasses the center and the left.

In the 1850's the Whig party fractured and out of its demise grew the GOP. The possibility does exist in the near future that many voters will have no place to call home. Its clear that Bernie's message resonated with voters, and not just Dem voters.

My claim is that the center and the left represent about 2/3rds of voters, in fact 90% of Americans. And they need a home. Now that may be the Green Party and I certainly would be open to idea of resurrecting one of the old names out of the history books to apply to a new party.

History shows us that 3rd parties are relegated to the sidelines, except for once or twice since 1776. What makes me hopeful in this regard is the vacuum left by the 2 major parties drifting to the right over the course of the last few decades. So I'm going to watch the political winds.... and if the opportunity arises...pounce. If voters continue to leave the Dems, and the GOP in increasing numbers, someone should be gracious enough to set a place at the table and invite them in out of the cold.

My personal course of action, the course of my personal political revolution will be dictated by a number of factors, who wins in Nov and how events play out thru 2018, and who knows what else. This course may be to take over the NY Green Party, or form a Progressive Party as the Wisconsin LaFollettes did in the early 1900's. I have always liked the ring to Democratic Socialist, even The Liberal Party. But I am swinging for the fences. One thing I did learn from my 14th campaign since 2004, I can accomplish great things with great inputs. Westchester/Rockland counties in NY were ranked #3 in NY state for completed doorknocks, a suburban/rural area finished with NYC and Rochester, solid urban areas. And that my friends is unheard of. And we did it in the backyard of Hillary Clinton.

For my next trick, I'm going to pull a rabbit out of a hat......Well.... more like I've gained confidence by running a county wide campaign field operation, I'm ready to run a state level operation. Or maybe something bigger...... Regardless, the curtain has been drawn on this portion of the revolution. The repercussions of the 2016 Democratic Primary process have been absorbed by all. Each individual has or will soon make a decision on who they will or will not vote for, but just as importantly, more people are looking to the future of the evolution, and the path their own political revolution will take over the next 2-3 years.

Remember, brandnewcongress.org doesn't care what party its candidates come from.

Funny thing, last year I built a NY state database of voters, with phone numbers of about 50% of voters for my Bernie Journey. Maybe its time to phone bank for Jill....

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Good thing there are people with long-term visions and plans. Lord knows I'm not one of them. I think it is my age.

I'm still working on trying to make Hillary lose 2016.

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"Religion is what keeps the poor from murdering the rich."--Napoleon

Roger Fox's picture

I'm still working on trying to make Hillary lose 2016.

Are you in NY? Wanna make calls for Jill?

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FDR 9-23-33, "If we cannot do this one way, we will do it another way. But do it we will.

She is on the ballot here. If the polls are close, I will likely vote for Trump. If they aren't, I'll vote for Jill. I'm also commitment adverse, so I won't decide until things get much closer.

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"Religion is what keeps the poor from murdering the rich."--Napoleon

I gather they're an loose association of state parties, but must confess ignorance about their history. What they seem to be is a potential leftist party that can be an ally for Berners and other disenfranchised voters on the left.

I'm not sure if any of the other small left parties has even as much presence in the states as the Greens. It would probably be wise for as many of us as possible to coalesce in one place, though, to avoid the fractiousness the Left has traditionally been prone to.

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Please help support caucus99percent!

Roger Fox's picture

In a 3 person race, Jill can be a factor.

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FDR 9-23-33, "If we cannot do this one way, we will do it another way. But do it we will.

TheOtherMaven's picture

Unless you think the Libertarians are more thoroughly marginalized than the Greens (which I would not bet on).

The calculus here can get really really complicated....

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There is no justice. There can be no peace.

Roger Fox's picture

a marvel of organization.

I want to see some polling in a 3 way race.

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FDR 9-23-33, "If we cannot do this one way, we will do it another way. But do it we will.

Hawkfish's picture

There are a bunch of Libertarians on the ballot here in WA and they are on the ballot in all 50 states. The Greens sometimes have multiple parties at the state level (Illinois?). Plus Libs are polling at about twice the Greens last I saw.

I'd love to be wrong here, but I just don't see it. I know you have a lot of experience on the ground, so please explain!

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We can’t save the world by playing by the rules, because the rules have to be changed.
- Greta Thunberg

Not Henry Kissinger's picture

Robert Marion "Fighting Bob"[1] La Follette Sr. (June 14, 1855 – June 18, 1925) was an American Republican (and later a Progressive) politician. He served as a member of the U.S. House of Representatives, was the Governor of Wisconsin, and was a U.S. Senator from Wisconsin from 1906 to 1925. He ran for President of the United States as the nominee of his own Progressive Party in 1924, carrying Wisconsin and winning 17% of the national popular vote.

He is best remembered as a proponent of progressivism and a vocal opponent of railroad trusts, bossism, World War I, and the League of Nations. In 1957, a Senate Committee selected La Follette as one of the five greatest U.S. Senators, along with Henry Clay, Daniel Webster, John C. Calhoun, and Robert A. Taft. A 1982 survey asking historians to rank the "ten greatest Senators in the nation's history" based on "accomplishments in office" and "long range impact on American history," placed La Follette first, tied with Henry Clay.

Great call on the Wisconsin LaFollettes. Certainly a valuable example to learn from.

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The current working assumption appears to be that our Shroedinger's Cat system is still alive. But what if we all suspect it's not, and the real problem is we just can't bring ourselves to open the box?

Roger Fox's picture

The Wisconsin Idea.

Edwin Witte Econ PhD U of Wisconsin, wrote the 1935 Social Security Law. Before that he wrote the Wisconsin unemployment law.

Significant Wisconsin legislation:

1911: Workman's Compensation
The Constitutionality of the Act was upheld by the Wisconsin Supreme Court on November 1, 1911 (and by the U.S. Supreme Court in 1926).

1913: Elevator Safety
Wisconsin's first elevator safety code took effect in 1913.

1913: Wage Laws for Women and Children
The first Wisconsin wage law was enacted in 1913 and specified that a "living wage" must be paid to women and minors. A woman's work week was limited to 55 hours and a childs workweek was limited to 48 hours.

1914: State Building Code
Ithe first building code in Wisconsin was adopted to help in the enforcement of the safe place statutes for all buildings and places of employment.

1915: Apprenticeship Law
A new Wisconsin apprenticeship law required apprentices to attend school 5 hours a week, at the employer's expense.

1917: State Employment Services

photo WisconsinEmploymentService.png

1919: Minimum Wage Law
A 22-cent minimum wage was established for women and minors 17 years of age and older.

1919: Worker's Compensation expanded
Occupational diseases were added to Worker's Compensation coverage.

1921: Mine and Quarry Safety
A complete safety code was developed for all mines and quarries by the Industrial Commission.

1921: Worker's Compensation expanded
Wisconsin created the Vocational Rehabilitation program with emphasis on people injured in industrial employment accidents.

1931: Prevailing Wage
New legislation required employers to pay all laborers, workman and mechanics on state public works projects at the "prevailing" wage rate of the area.

1931: Owed Wages
Wisconsin Legislature created a new division to help workers collect wages owed by former employers.

1932: Unemployment Compensation Law
The Wisconsin Legislature passed the nation's first unemployment compensation law.
Governor La Follete signs Nations first Unemployment Compensation Law

1936: First Unemployment check
Wisconsin issued the first Unemployment Compensation Check in the United States on August 17, 1936. It was in the amount of $15.00 and issued to Neils N, Ruud.

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FDR 9-23-33, "If we cannot do this one way, we will do it another way. But do it we will.

that WI today is run by corrupt rightwing ideologues, goons, and ignoramuses...

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I think public schools will be gone within the next two years.

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"Religion is what keeps the poor from murdering the rich."--Napoleon

tapu dali's picture

... but I honestly can't be sure.

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There are known knowns; there are things we know we know. We also know there are known unknowns; that is to say we know there are some things we do not know. But there are also unknown unknowns – the ones we don't know we don't know.

tapu dali's picture

Unsurprisingly, since much of Wisconsin was settled originally by Swedes and Norge.

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There are known knowns; there are things we know we know. We also know there are known unknowns; that is to say we know there are some things we do not know. But there are also unknown unknowns – the ones we don't know we don't know.

tapu dali's picture

to get any action requires not only a President but also Control of Congress (Senate and House).

I see no Green party candidates running "downticket". So even if, mirabile dictu, Jill were to miraculously gain the Presidency, she would have zero support in Congress. She probably couldn't even veto anything. She would be a mere Figurehead Head of State, welcoming foreign dignitaries, and not much else.

Of course that's how your "genius" Founders wanted it, didn't they?

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There are known knowns; there are things we know we know. We also know there are known unknowns; that is to say we know there are some things we do not know. But there are also unknown unknowns – the ones we don't know we don't know.

lotlizard's picture

would try to abolish slavery by some simple one-shot majority vote, so they were determined to build lots of possibilities for gridlock into the system to prevent that.

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