The typical political conversation follows a predictable trajectory: the usual suspects argue that politics in Washington is broken because "both sides" have become more extreme, are beholden to their unyielding party bases, and are opposed to compromise. Folks like me try push back, arguing that this is wrong -- one party has been radicalized, the other hasn't -- leading the establishment to roll its eyes and dismiss my argument as overly partisan and ideological.
If only there was a way to quantify matters, removing opinions and subjectivity out of the equation. Wait, there already is such a way.
Political scientists Keith Poole and Howard Rosenthal periodically update their DW-NOMINATE scores, and yesterday, they published a new report reflecting the entirety of the 112th Congress. The data, as Dylan Matthews noted, is "the industry standard system for measuring how members of the House and Senate compare to each other ideologically."
And what did they find? The above image shows the ideological trajectory in the U.S. House since the last 1870s, and the blue line shows House Republicans reaching an extreme unseen since the dawn of the modern two-party system.
What about Democrats? They've been about the same since the mid-1990s.
The picture in the Senate is very similar.
The result isn't just a polarized Congress; it's the most polarized House ever recorded, and the most polarized Senate since the post-Civil War Reconstruction era. It's not because "both sides" pander to their bases; it's because Republicans moved sharply to the right.
Poole and Rosenthal have more useful information in their report, including some additional charts. Be sure to share it with everyone who tells you "both parties" always deserve all of the blame.
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But the CW says the wingnut Republicans will survive in their gerrymandered districts and their numbers will actually grow in the midterms. Of course, in the face of these numbers CW is right only if the Democratic party follows their 2010 plan and doesn't do a thing in the midterms.
I made a donation to my local Democratic committee yesterday. I am hoping they use the money to promote good Democrats in the suburbs in the midterms. If I see signs that they aren't going to be slaves to Politico style CW I will give more. I hope Democrats across the country do the same.
Yeah....this Gun grab by Hussein should REALLY help the Dems in the Mid-terms...How do "Good Democrats " get elected in republican districts when they follow this failure in chief in his attempt to trample the second amendment? Good luck with that one.
Every time filthy animals like you call him "Hussein," it just leaves me more amazed at how much he has achieved despite the opposition of an army of deranged racist morons.
And every time a liberal comes out with some kind of patently STUPID statement about how using the Guy's Allah given name is an insult, it speaks to the lunacy of Liberals. Nice avatar though.
Quick question: how can it be "Allah-given" when he's a Christian? Or is that fact too inconvenient for you?
scott-3860658, you should watch Rachel Maddow's segment on trollers. You might find kindred spirits among her examples.
President Obama is referred to as either President Obama or Mr. Obama. If you are family or close friend, using his first name is appropriate when speaking to him. I have never read of anyone calling him by his middle name.
Hey Scott, I just want to thank you from taking time from your busy schedule - fornicating your sheep over in Wacko World - to come over here and give us such a great demonstration of what a biped that lacks frontal lobes and opposable thumbs looks like. Always good to be reminded of how ignorant ignorance has to be, to be one of you morons.
BTW - did you happen to notice that we who believe in democracy, allow trolls like you to show up without restriction, while your "patriot" sites allow no dissent? Actually, it's a conspiracy on our part, we let fools like you show up to froth at the mouth, to give a bad reputation to you "patriots" the way Piers Morgan brings on idiots like Alex Jones to show people what a gun moron looks like. Thanks for taking the bait.
Do you see Democrats going around calling Governor Bobby Jindal Piyush, which by the way is his given first name? No, of course you don't... because most Democrats are not hate-mongering racists.
lol "gun grab". Name one person you know whom has had even one gun taken away from them?
Although it may be impossible to regain southern seats lost to redistricting, surely there are vulnerable seats elsewhere. I would love to see a list of Republican congressmen/women in blue states. My congressman in CA has seen Demo gains in districts around us and I am sure he is uneasy--voted for latest tax compromise bill.
It would be nice to have moderate Rep. in the House and get rid of the crazies. But if that is not possible, we need to unseat other Republicans wherever we can.
I would begin donating what I can and urging other to do the same as soon as one organization decides to focus on this task. While many progressive organizations exist we need one to centralize, lead and maintain the movement.
It's not impossible. In many of those gerrymandered districts the republicans filled them up with what they believed were NON-voting Hispanics. In Texas, some have as many 55%. These districts can be won if the dems can motivate them to vote by showing common cause. It's already happening in Harris County.
We need Demarcates to realize that without candidates the party can't win seats. Like with the uncontested seat of John Boehner.
Steve Benen: I know of no other way to get a story idea to you and your boss so I am sending a copy of a blog I wrote that I think has special merit . . . an idea that deserves wider consideration.
POLITICAL RACKETEERING IS PUNISHABLE
I am not a sports fan of any kind but a recent “sports” story written by Brian Homewood for Reuters Middle East (Jan. 16, 2013) put forward information that caught my attention. “Match fixing became a huge concern for soccer’s authorities. . .” Huge sums of money are made by criminals according to Ralf Mustchke, as head of security of the International Federations of Football. Not only players but also referees could “boost their careers by taking part in the manipulation. Would it surprise you to learn that the fixers had good contacts “in the soccer federation, which is the governing body?”
As naive as it sounds, my question is, “Would you think this is a criminal activity that should be punished and would you class it as racketeering?” Before you read further, commit yourself to a yes or no answer. Overwhelmingly, the expected answer would yes.
Now, turn you attention to how our Congress works. To paraphrase Mustchke, huge sums of money are to be made by politicians by fixing the “game.” Further, would it surprise you to learn the fixers have good contacts (lobbyists) in the governing body? Now repeat your answer to my question, should all politicians or “fixers” or lobbyists be punished. Now the answer should be overwhelmingly no; however, that does not mean that the crooked ones should not be punished to the full extent of the law—but what law? As an aside, everyone knows the wrist slapping of the congressional ethics committees is a farce—a failed system.
In the past, I have posted several items on firetreepub.blogspot.com pointing out the one area of political manipulation where the answer should be a resounding; that area is the political operative protection racket, overwhelmingly Republican. The RICO statues, laws made by the congress to regulate others and not themselves apply is the way to go.
A number of organizations use exactly the same strategy to corrupt our democracy. It is called “threatening to primary” a politician. The threat is no different from a street gang threatening to trash a small storeowner’s business unless he or she pays protection money. The identity of the racketeers is an open secret: the NRA, Americans for Progress, and Grover Norquist’s tax pledge to name but a few of the “gangs”. The threat is to trash the politician’s job. Like the old reward and punishment system of B. F. Skinner, applies. The only protection money they are asked to pay is their vote while the reward is big campaign donations, big jobs, congressional committee leadership positions if the political party is in on the racket, which they are. Only after the vote is cast does it stopped being direct and becomes rewarding, for example, when the government pays huge subsidies to already profitable oil companies is how they win the game.
The Notion that running a candidate that ACTUALLY holds the view of the Constituency against a sitting politician as some kind of a "threat" is as nutty as Elephant crap...and speaks to the lunacy that emanates from the majority of the Left that somehow thinks that forcing wildly unpopular things such as Socialized Medicine down the throats of Americans...or even Trampling whatever part of the constitution they "don't care for" and think the Citizenry will just bend over and take it. The Left never ceases to amaze me.
It's probably more accurate to say that running Todd Akin, Richard Mourdock, Allen West and Christine O'Donnell as your candidate is what's really "nutty as Elephant crap." But nobody ever called the Tea Party the Party of Reason, so there you go. And you may have slept through November 6, Scott, but your side lost, so what's that you were saying about "wildly unpopular"?
So...When the time comes..Republicans regain a super majority...It's time for a Straight conservative agenda then? And the next time around think the districts Akin and mourdock were running for remains Democrat?
Did you sleep through debate class as well as November 6? Your response is just one long non sequitur, Scott. Go back to sleep.
Your sheep want you to come back home and service them again with your little wee-wee, Scotty.
Scott really? "The Notion that running a candidate that ACTUALLY holds the view of the Constituency against a sitting politician as some kind of a "threat" is as nutty as Elephant crap." Like the tea-nuts who know nothing about the constitution and interject their interpretation of said document! I bet if you asked 100 tea-nuts to explain the 2nd amendment they would have no clue!
If you haven't seen it yet, please take an hour to watch Paul Krugman on Bill Moyers' show last week. Important, important information and explanation for anyone who really wants to understand where we are in our national economy, what can be done about it and who's standing in the way. (Hint: rhymes with Me Hearty)
http://billmoyers.com/episode/full-show-paul-krugman-on-why-jobs-come-first/
Better yet, watch it twice. There's a lot to digest there.
It should be required reading for the whole electorate, especially the last few minutes where Lloyd Blankfein is the subject of discussion.
And showing a chart to the facts, science, math, and chart-impaired Republican politicans, and the "Hear no evil, see no evil, and speak no evil - OF REPUBLICANS" in the MSM, will help how, Steve?
The charts may jolt some people into stark awareness, which can lead to discussion, analysis, and, hopefully, action. Beats sitting on a bump on a log.
I am about to look a this more closely. But I wish to note that there are TWO DWNOMINATE scores: one on economic issues, one on cultural/race issues. Just looking at the trend lines, I suspect we have the former, and not the latter, because Democrats have radically changed on race since the 1960's, something not evident in the chart presented. Now to dig in for a closer look . . .
Another piece of evidence the Republican brand is out of bounds - injecting steroids into the filibuster! -Kevo
Perhaps when you have a super majority shoving Legislation down the throats of Americans who overwhelmingly rejected it (Socialized Medicine) which provides Benefits for deadbeats and illegals off the back of the US taxpayer as well as this Liberal failure disregarding the Constitution when convenient MAY have played a part in said "intransigence" from the Right...But since when has liberals took a moment to think these things through?
Overwhelmingly rejected it? So the landslide for the president who ran on it for his re-election, that never happened? What color is the sky in that little world of yours?
Hey Scott w/a bazillion numbers - You speak gibberish!
If the written expression is directly connected to one's understanding of the issues written about, yours is an expression of a moronic perspective, obviously fed by the propaganda of those who wouldn't think twice if given a chance to own you!
Dude - wake up and realize just how ignorant and potentially violent you actually are! -Kevo
A more important question would be why the Beltway establishment can't see it.
I think we're talking willful blindness here and the implications of that are really scary.
One thing that has always bothered me about the long-run DW-NOMINATE series is they way they apply the terms 'liberal' and 'conservative' as if they were static positions. There is no way to reasonably understand Thaddeus Stevens as being a moderate conservative. Yet there he is.
Separating out the bigot element only gets at part of the story. The main part is that times change and reactionaries react to them.
For more on the "great divide" go to their website.
http://voteview.com/blog/
For information on how the American population views important issues see the link below:
http://www.people-press.org/2011/05/04/beyond-red-vs-blue-the-political-typology/
http://www.people-press.org/2011/05/04/about-the-political-typology/
Some day Scott might post something worth troll hunting him over. Thusfar I say starve him until he comes up with something original or significant.
If we want to show this graph to relatives, the very first question will be "what do those numbers mean?" followed by "how do they measure that?" I went five links deep into the material and only got more jargon. Could we get a clearer explanation of these numbers?
Scott you want to talk about walking over what Americans want and trampling the constitution. You should look at someone who is probably a hero to you G.W. His poorly named patriot act and the wars he waged without paying for them was not only Unconstitutional bur treasonist and a completely republican party agenda, that he felt he had a mandate to enact. Funny how conservatives think something is fine when they are doing it, yet when a liberal gets anywhere close to the same actions it is abhorable! The current republican party reps. should all be tried as traitors for intentionally sabotaging the american economy over the past 4 years!
The neanderthals of tea party has sucked out the good air from the lungs of the Republican party. In this day and age the GOP are nothing more than self righteous loud mouths with chips on their shoulders. Always expressing their anger of having to bow to a black president and to women and to gays and the poor. Not to say it is racism but it it is a form of hatefullness of prejudice and petty jealousy which harms the common goil of good for all free people. This comes from an extremism of idiots who know nothing and whom consistency violate the moral importance of the common core standards because of being selfish narrow-minded, greedy little men who look down their noses at anyone whom is not like them. Rand Paul, Rush Limbaugh and Shawn Hannity and Mitch Mcconnell... to name a few whom all believe the rich need more.
Scotty
Lets HOPE that if you do have guns.........they come after yours, You young man are unhinged and besides guns, I am not sure you should play with scissors.
Evangelical Christians have set the gold standard for selective support of the Constitution and states rights.
I'd love to share this on my FB Wall, and point some folks at this. But the people who really need to see this, are rather entrenched in their viewpoints. They'd reject the numbers as being spun and made up by the liberal conspiracy - like they did with Job numbers, climate change, etc...
ect....meaning, reality?
If calling Obama Hussein somehow makes him Saddam, and therefore an evil Muslim, well then I guess their cherished Karl Rove is... KARL MARX! Karl Rove is a raving Communist!
I can't believe the conservatives (no, they are not Grand or "right") haven't used their own racist xenophobic logic to trace Karl Rove to who he really is!
Rachel had it spot on the other night about 'trolls' but lets face it, we all have a try on occassion in the vague hope that at least 'one' person may see our side of the argument. However those like 'Scott' have no 'other' agenda than to divert attention from real issues and common sense debate. The general idea is to throw out inflamatory statements that dont have the slightest meaningful sense but to do that cleverly takes intelligence - something most definately lacking in 'Scott' although I have to say a few took the bait(as am I). Best left alone to wallow in his own little dreamland where he can dream in his fantasy world where he is king and commands the ultimate respect (.......ok you can stop laughing now...! )
Oh let them continue to simmer in the Fox cauldron. The are Edvard Munch’s "The Scream". Perpetual angst from being continually reminded they are no longer in charge.
Sometimes (too often), taking part in a 'debate' on an online forum is like arguing with the drunk guy on the barstool next to you. You will never convince some people with facts (they have too much emotionally invested in their point to budge), and you run the risk of getting punched out (or worse) for pointing that out to them.
Hence, please don't feed the trolls! And just because they do it, don't join them in flinging poo. They will drag you down to their level and beat you with experience.
haven't seen a troll win one yet!
Foxnews? The 'little foxes'?
Take for us the foxes, the little foxes, that spoil the vines: for our vines have tender
grapes.
Meaning: Suppress the heretics (the little foxes) while they are young, that is, when they begin to show their malice, and destroy the vines of the Lord.
thus, they continue to be completely ineffective. they can't even engage in intelligent discourse.
I wish the chart (and included link) were a bit more comprehensive. Nevertheless, this is pretty informative and a nice (simple) illustration of what most moderates (like myself) are sensing--a tearing apart of the political parties with conservatives pulling most violently away from the remainder of the population.
In the late 80S, before I accepted a position as the Head of Purchasing for a Global Automotive Parts Manufacturer, I had to take an IQ test of sorts, as well, as a test relative to my personality and managing style. I would love to see something like that being mandatory for anyone who is seeking a public office. That might be a way to reduce the number of morons, who become elected members of the Senate and Congress. It's so embarrasing to know that we have so many double-digit IQ people in our federal and state offices.