I couldn't take my eyes and ears off the Democratic National Committee's Rules & Bylaws Committee special meetings on Saturday when they were discussing the delegates from Michigan and Florida. It was amazing to watch the party powerful going at each other with such vigor.
The DNC screwed up by writing rules and issuing statements that are contradictory. They are really not very good at this sort of thing. Time magazine's Jay Newton-Small summarized the meeting pretty well in the article No End for the Dems' Disunity, but to really appreciate it, you need to have seen the proceedings yourself.
On the other hand, who convinced Obama that it was a good idea to take his name off the ballot in Michigan? That was a totally bone-headed move. You can disarm, but not until you know for sure your opponent is disarming as well.
If the Dems are able to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory this year, there could be big changes in the party. With the war and the economy, this should be a slam dunk for them.
A friend of mine suggests that this election could be the event that produces a viable third party, but I am pessimistic. The problem I see is the same problem the current two parties have: both the democrats and the GOP are made up of unholy alliances. Any third party would either be a niche player or would be trying to unify diverse groups who are dissatisfied with the current two parties for wildly different reasons. It's a pure numbers game to me. Two parties are hard enough to keep together. A third would be even tougher with out system. If we had a parliamentary system where coalitions were crucial, then smaller parties could be viable, but I don't know that we can get there any time soon.
Soundtrack: Marvin Gaye (What's Going On)
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