Is America Turning Left?

[mrsquirrel]

American politics
Is America turning left?

Aug 9th 2007
From The Economist print edition
Probably—but not in the way many foreigners (and some Americans) hope



FOR George Bush, the presidency is becoming a tragic tale of unintended consequences. In foreign policy, the man who sought to transform Iraq, the Middle East and America's reputation has indeed had revolutionary effects, though not the ones he was aiming for. Now something similar seems to be happening in domestic politics. The most conservative president in recent history, a man who sought to turn his victories of 2000 and 2004 into a Republican hegemony, may well end up driving the Western world's most impressive political machine off a cliff.
That machine has put Republicans in the White House in seven of the past ten contests. At times it has seemed as if the Democrats (oddly, given their status as the less Godly party) have had to rely on divine intervention to get elected. Watergate helped Jimmy Carter in 1976, just as the end of the cold war and Ross Perot's disruptive third-party campaign helped Bill Clinton in 1992. Better organised and more intellectually inventive than their “liberal” rivals, American conservatives have controlled the agenda even when they have lost: Mr Clinton is best remembered for balancing the budget and passing welfare reform, both conservative achievements. In a country where one in three people see themselves as conservatives (against one in five as liberals) and where the South and West have grown far more quickly than the liberal north-east, it is easy to see why Mr Bush and his strategist, Karl Rove, dreamed of banishing Democrats from power for a generation.

Now they would settle for a lot less. Having recaptured Congress last year, the Democrats are on course to retake the presidency in 2008. Only one Republican, Rudy Giuliani, looks competitive in the polls, and his campaign is less slick than those of Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama. Voters now favour generic Democratic candidates over Republican ones by wide margins. Democrats are more trusted even on traditional conservative issues, such as national security, and they have opened up a wide gap among the young, among independents and among Latinos (see article).
For this, he is not guilty

The easy scapegoat is Mr Bush himself. During his presidency, the words Katrina, Rumsfeld, Abramoff, Guantánamo and Libby have become shorthand for incompetence, cronyism or extremism. Indeed, the failings of Mr Bush's coterie are oddly reassuring for some conservatives: once he has gone, they can regroup, as they did after his father was ousted in 1992.
Yet this President Bush is not a good scapegoat. Rather than betraying the right, he has given it virtually everything it craved, from humongous tax cuts to conservative judges. Many of the worst errors were championed by conservative constituencies. Some of the arrogance in foreign policy stems from the armchair warriors of neoconservatism; the ill-fated attempt to “save” the life of the brain-dead Terri Schiavo was driven by the Christian right. Even Mr Bush's apparently oxymoronic trust in “big-government conservatism” is shared in practice by most Republicans in Congress.
From this perspective, the worrying parallel for the right is not 1992 but the liberal overreach of the 1960s. By embracing leftish causes that were too extreme for the American mainstream—from unfettered abortion to affirmative action—the Democrats cast themselves into the political wilderness. Now the American people seem to be reacting to conservative over-reach by turning left. More want universal health insurance; more distrust force as a way to bring about peace; more like greenery; ever more dislike intolerance on social issues.
Be careful what you wish for

So some sort of shift seems to be under way. Would it be a change for the better? The Economist has never made any secret of its preference for the Republican Party's individualistic “western” wing rather than the moralistic “southern” one that Mr Bush has come to typify. It is hard to imagine Ronald Reagan sponsoring a federal amendment banning gay marriage or limiting federal funding for stem-cell research. Yet Mr Bush's departure hardly guarantees a move back to the centre. Social liberals like Mr Giuliani and Arnold Schwarzenegger are in a minority on the right. On the one issue where Mr Bush fought the intolerant wing of his party, immigration, the nativists won—and perhaps lost the Latino vote for a generation.
In terms of foreign policy, America's allies, especially in Europe, would also be unwise to start celebrating, for two reasons. First, some of the changes that would stem from a more Democratic America would be unwelcome. The Democrats are moving to the left not just on health care, but also on trade; and a more protectionist America would soon make the world's poor regret Mr Bush's passing. Similarly, many Europeans may yearn for a less interventionist America; but an isolationist superpower could be much more frightening.
Second, America, even if it shifts to the left, will still be a conservative force on the international stage. Mrs Clinton might be portrayed as a communist on talk radio in Kansas, but set her alongside France's Nicolas Sarkozy, Germany's Angela Merkel, Britain's David Cameron or any other supposed European conservative, and on virtually every significant issue Mrs Clinton is the more right-wing. She also mentions God more often than the average European bishop. As for foreign policy, the main Democratic candidates are equally staunch in their support of Israel; none of them has ruled out attacking Iran; Mr Obama might take a shot at Pakistan; and few of them want to cede power to multilateral organisations.
One finding that stands out in the polls is that most Americans distrust government strongly. Forty years ago they turned against a leftish elite trying to boss them around; now they have had to endure a right-wing version. In democracies political revolutions usually become obvious only in retrospect. In 1968, with America stuck in another bruising war, few liberals saw Richard Nixon's southern strategy as part of a long-term turn to the right. All that was clear then was that most Americans urgently wanted a change of direction. That is also true today.

American politics | Is America turning left? | Economist.com

URL may not work since it is in the subsribers section.

The most conservative president in recent history, a man who sought to turn his victories of 2000 and 2004 into a Republican hegemony, may well end up driving the Western world's most impressive political machine off a cliff.

I wouldn't call the chap conservative. He has invaded two countries in less than 7 years. When did that last happen?

[barbaro]

^ Intriguing article, Squirrel.

The concept and term "left" is very different in the U.S.

IMO, a lot of people, including journalists, use this term incorrectly.

What I think W. Bush is not is a Conservative - in the traditional conservative sense.

He's hard to define because of his NCLB Education policies, support of big government, spending and borrowing the most ever, and exporting U.S. ideology to foreign countries (just like Woodrow Wilson preached.)

The Democratic party is a right-wing political party (or in the dead center).

The only left-wing politician in Congress is Bernie Sanders, and he votes with the Democrats all of the time.

[Butterfly]

about fucking time they get with the program, the rest of the first world is going "socialist", time to catch up

[buad hai]

Clinton might be portrayed as a communist on talk radio in Kansas, but set her alongside France's Nicolas Sarkozy, Germany's Angela Merkel, Britain's David Cameron or any other supposed European conservative, and on virtually every significant issue Mrs Clinton is the more right-wing. She also mentions God more often than the average European bishop.

The Democratic party is a right-wing political party (or in the dead center).

My sentiments exactly. It amazes me that people think Hilary is some sort of liberal. She's far from it as is the entire Democratic Party.

[Boon Mee]

My sentiments exactly. It amazes me that people think Hilary is some sort of liberal. She's far from it as is the entire Democratic Party.

Uh...been keeping up with current events there Newman?
Just who were the atendees at the Kos Convention recently?
99% of the Democratic candidates for president, that's who.
Kosfiles is hardcore left...

[sabang]

What would we all do if there was nobody left to hate?

[Boon Mee]

^
Well, let's start with the Left-wing loonies and their hate-filled site called Kosfiles shall we?

"The supreme egotist Markos “Screw Them” Moulitsas appeared on Meet The Press today with DLC chairman Harold Ford, denying and backpedaling furiously away from the hateful, ugly content on his site, and crowing about becoming the new Democratic “mainstream.” Of course, he’s being given a complete pass for his obscene, barely literate writing, and his track record of almost uninterrupted political failure."

http://www.littlegreenfootballs.com/weblog/weblog.php]

[barbaro]

about fucking time they get with the program, the rest of the first world is going "socialist", time to catch up

I think many areas are going in the other direction. They're moving away from Socialism. Europe for example.

Also, the U.S. in many ways - in most ways - the USA is socialist if you look at Entitlements.

(Entitlements are money that the government gives to people)

Entitlements are now 50% of the U.S. government.

Hard to believe but true.

I do with the U.S. government would cut down on Offense Spending (which some call "defense") and stop spending so much money, and direct resources to infrastructure like bridges, etc.

When you work in America - look at the your stub, and see how much money is taken for all of the things the government spends on.

A bit sad.

I say, cut spending, cut socialist agendas, cut Entitlements.

[sabang]

Do you think that the US should follow the EU and become a Union of autonomous States?
They both look similar from a satellite.

[barbaro]

Do you think that the US should follow the EU and become a Union of autonomous States?
They both look similar from a satellite.

In a lot of ways, yes.

I'd like to see more State and Local control, and less Federal control from Washington, D.C.

D.C. doesn't have the values and interests of people in say, Florida, Missouri, Oregan, or elsewhere.

But the Federal government passes laws, and forces states to pass state laws by witholding money (as in the case of speed limits in Montana).

Some states seem to need federal money, and this is the string that allows the Feds to usurp states rights, autonomy, and sefl-determination.

So, my answer is, yes.

But autonomous can be autonomy of varying degree.

I'd like the states to be more autonomous.

[raycarey]

of course america is turning left----the rove election strategy of highlighting wedge issues and playing on people's fears has forced americans to stand back and look at what's happened to their country over the last several years.....since 2004 the republicans have fewer governers, represenatives in congress, and senators. favorable opinion about the republican party has also dropped significantly.

from the NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll. Issue after issue, advantage goes to Democrats: global warming; health care; gas prices; reducing the deficit, a conservative principle; education, where you had made strides with No Child Left Behind; and it goes on from there, controlling government spending; Iraq, the Democrats with a 15 point advantage; Immigration; ethics in government.

an unnecessary war and a culture of abject corruption (not to mention unbridled partisanship) will do that to a party.

looks for the dems to make huge gains in 2008....and beyond.

MTP transcript for Aug. 19, 2007 - Meet the Press, online at MSNBC - MSNBC.com

[Butterfly]

It's no secret that GW Bush is a Democrat undercover agent looking to destroy the GOP

[barbaro]

of course america is turning left----

Ray,

I'm not sure what "left" means in U.S. or what "left" means to the average American.

The Democrats are a right-wing political party.

They basically dead center. The Demo changes prescribed are (as one of our posters has stated) cosmetic.

And entitlements are now 50% of the American budget. Entitlements are money (payments) paid to American citizens that qualify for them, for one reason or another.

Semantics.

[raycarey]

I'm not sure what "left" means in U.S. or what "left" means to the average American. The Democrats are a right-wing political party.

if judging on a global scale, then yes the DNC is right wing...but on any scale they are to the left of the republicans....and the american public is turning left...not as far as they should IMO, but left all the same.

[Panda]

Naw. I think US is moving more to the right overall as the decades go by. They are an inward looking lot which make it easy for the wealthy elite to manipulate the masses. USA may be one of the worlds wealthiest countries, but ordinary working class people there have a lower quality of life than people in other developed nations.

[raycarey]

but ordinary working class people there have a lower quality of life than people in other developed nations.

i don't know why, but i'm continually shocked when the global infant mortality statistics are compiled and published.

[Boon Mee]

This is a perfect example of how far left some Americans have gone. To state that one will move overseas if a certain Republican is elected POTUS is one thing but to unequivocally announce that you'll kill yourself if Dick Cheney runs for president is just plain nuts...

[chinthee]

This is a perfect example of how far left some Americans have gone. To state that one will move overseas if a certain Republican is elected POTUS is one thing but to unequivocally announce that you'll kill yourself if Dick Cheney runs for president is just plain nuts...

Is Helen Thomas still alive? What is she 210 or something? I would have thought she had become fossilized into a press room chair by now.

[Boon Mee]

Well, talking about extremes that the Left go to, check out this piece titled: "The Increasingly Ugly Left".

Points brought out with which even raycary cannot disagree!

An excerpt:

"After all, if you care enough about yourself to resist a Big Mac and Krispy Kreme, you would also have the discipline to resist an intern. Unless, of course, your world is one where there are no standards, exercise is "creepy," and looking good is "old fashioned." Theirs is a world, as Bill Clinton mused, where you do what you want ‘because you can.'"


Heh...

[NathairCeann]

'Not many people know this' (says he in his best Michael Caine voice) but the political terms 'left' and 'right' originate with the choice of seating in the Assemble Nationale in Paris.
,br/> Are you trying to define US politics on the French model ?

[Camel Toe]

[QUOTE=Milkman;363197
The concept and term "left" is very different in the U.S.

IMO, a lot of people, including journalists, use this term incorrectly.

[/QUOTE]

Please help me understand this.

I agree in that the further left you go the more right you become. It seems to be a circle.

[AntRobertson]

Well, talking about extremes that the Left go to, check out this piece titled: "The Increasingly Ugly Left".

Points brought out with which even raycary cannot disagree!

An excerpt:

"After all, if you care enough about yourself to resist a Big Mac and Krispy Kreme, you would also have the discipline to resist an intern. Unless, of course, your world is one where there are no standards, exercise is "creepy," and looking good is "old fashioned." Theirs is a world, as Bill Clinton mused, where you do what you want ‘because you can.'"


Heh...

Oh Booners, when will you ever learn!?

Not only have you merely linked to (yet) another op-ed/blog piece, but this time none other than Tammy Bruce.

A self-professed "openly gay, pro-choice, gun owning, pro-death penalty, voted-for-President Bush authentic feminist" who "lives in Los Angeles with Sadie the Cat, Sadie’s nemesis Sydney the Puppy, and puts up with a raccoon she has named Rocky, who refuses to leave her outside patio" and who, amongst over equally amusing rants, seems to think that Michael Vick should be excused his 'follies' because, well, there are others that have done worse. Yup you heard correct, there shouldn't be such a fuss because others have done worse. Great rationale that!

For that and other equally intellectually stunted arguments you should visit her website: Tammy Bruce

You should also note the folly of using others to make the case for you.

[Boon Mee]

Well, talking about extremes that the Left go to, check out this piece titled: "The Increasingly Ugly Left".

Points brought out with which even raycary cannot disagree!

An excerpt:

"After all, if you care enough about yourself to resist a Big Mac and Krispy Kreme, you would also have the discipline to resist an intern. Unless, of course, your world is one where there are no standards, exercise is "creepy," and looking good is "old fashioned." Theirs is a world, as Bill Clinton mused, where you do what you want ‘because you can.'"


Heh...

Oh Booners, when will you ever learn!?

Not only have you merely linked to (yet) another op-ed/blog piece, but this time none other than Tammy Bruce.

A self-professed "openly gay, pro-choice, gun owning, pro-death penalty, voted-for-President Bush authentic feminist" who "lives in Los Angeles with Sadie the Cat, Sadie’s nemesis Sydney the Puppy, and puts up with a raccoon she has named Rocky, who refuses to leave her outside patio" and who, amongst over equally amusing rants, seems to think that Michael Vick should be excused his 'follies' because, well, there are others that have done worse. Yup you heard correct, there shouldn't be such a fuss because others have done worse. Great rationale that!

For that and other equally intellectually stunted arguments you should visit her website: Tammy Bruce

You should also note the folly of using others to make the case for you.

99.9% of this forum would not have sussed out Tammy Bruce as you have so...I'll reference others in future to make the point!

[raycarey]

nice find ant.

i just rolled my cursor over boonie's hidden link and saw the absurd site newsmax.com, and moved on.

99.9% of this forum would not have sussed out Tammy Bruce as you have so...I'll reference others in future to make the point!

this is a new low for you boner.....and just when i thought it wasn't possible.

[Boon Mee]

nice find ant.

i just rolled my cursor over boonie's hidden link and saw the absurd site newsmax.com, and moved on.

99.9% of this forum would not have sussed out Tammy Bruce as you have so...I'll reference others in future to make the point!

this is a new low for you boner.....and just when i thought it wasn't possible.

Hey!
Who's to say you don't count for one-tenth of one percent there ray!