Conservatives have been in denial about the death of the GOP for years

[hopper]

I figured out years ago that a good even balance in D.C. could keep us out of war and a good strong economy.  The anger found in our voters leans toward physical violence and it sure shows in this last young generation. 

I'm reading a great book by Chris Matthews who was a worker for Tip O'Neill Democrat House Speaker and President Reagan.  They fought like tigers until 6 PM and then became close friends.

A love of America and respect for the government brought them together.  Impossible today! 

I can't stomach Matthews on MSNBC but on C-Span at the Miami Book Fair he actually made a lot of sense on Sunday.

[hopper]

The New Democratic majority will have to bring jobs or Christie and the tea party will be back in 2016. But first raise min wage to $10,

Most Democrats today(the politicians) are more interested in giving me a social program rather than giving the country economic growth so everyone can prosper. I know JFK, Clinton, or even a President Brian Schwietzer would be exceptions to this. Hillary and Obama aren't into  economic growth.

[opebo]

Hillary and Obama aren't into  economic growth.

Sorry hopps, its the GOP that opposes growth.

[hopper]

I've seen writings by serious writers of how the GOP is in danger of dying out.  This will not happen.  We are locked into a Democratic and a Republican party to sort out candidates.  These names represent points of reference for voters, and this is reinforced by the information age.

We have a "two party system" (minor parties and independents are generally trivial) and will continue to have such a system because of the "winner take all" system of elections in America.  I Israel, folks vote for a slate of candidates for the Knesset, and Knesset seats are apportioned in proportion to the degree a party's "list" is voted for.  This gives the average Israeli voter a motivation to vote for a smaller party.  Smaller parties join together to form "joint lists".  (Labor and Likud are actually "joint lists" and not parties.)  Minor parties can enter into coalitions and obtain cabinet positions for their members, or key committee chairmanships in the Knesset (and often do). 

Ah, but in America . . . Here, in America, there's nothing in it for the average voter to vote for, say Gary Johnson or the Libertarians.  In doing so, you are (A) voting for a candidate with nowhere near enough of a base to win, and (B) aiding in the outcome of a more statist-type Democrat being the winner that takes all.  It is the winner-take-all feature of our elections, more than anything else, that inhibits the growth of minor parties, and keeps them from electing candidates.  Most "third party" candidates are actually Independents who form a "party" because their state requires that in order to get on the ballot, and these "Independents" are almost always folks who are essentially Democrats or Republicans (Harry Byrd, Jr., Bernie Sanders, Angus King) or folks who are running because they are out of sync with their party due to one issue position (Joe Lieberman) or a personal feud (Marshall Coleman).  Yes, it's true that state legislators do everything they can to make it tough on minor parties to make it to the ballot, but all that means is that the minor parties will get (maybe) 10% of the total vote, and not 2%.  That's not going to make it a 3 party system. 

Coleman was a flip-flopper on abortion that's what killed his political career probably. I think he was really pro-choice but he kept on flipping on the issue. He was leading the 1989 Va's Governor's Race with a week to go until he self-destructed.

Personally though people have said oh rock music will never die and now its dead in the mainstream. There is not even a rock station in the NYC area now. The Republicans Party can die like Rock Music did after post-grunge died(Creed) or rap-rock died out with Limp Bizkit. I have to add though even rap music which was really popular 2003-2008 its not really not that popular as it was in its 00's heyday. Just making a comparison not trying to get too off-topic.

[hopper]

Hillary and Obama aren't into  economic growth.

Sorry hopps, its the GOP that opposes growth.

I'm just talking about Democrat politicians not Republicans. The Republicans have a number of their own problems as we all know.

I think Christie or Pence are pro-growth GOP economic politicians but of course they are not in Washington DC right now.

[opebo]

Hillary and Obama aren't into  economic growth.

Sorry hopps, its the GOP that opposes growth.

I'm just talking about Democrat politicians not Republicans. The Republicans have a number of their own problems as we all know.

I think Christie or Pence are pro-growth GOP economic politicians but of course they are not in Washington DC right now.

Neoliberalism has killed growth, and that's the ideology of the GOP, no?

[hopper]

Hillary and Obama aren't into  economic growth.

Sorry hopps, its the GOP that opposes growth.

I'm just talking about Democrat politicians not Republicans. The Republicans have a number of their own problems as we all know.

I think Christie or Pence are pro-growth GOP economic politicians but of course they are not in Washington DC right now.

Neoliberalism has killed growth, and that's the ideology of the GOP, no?

No that's not it at all. I have said there is Dems that are for economic growth from past presidents but Hillary and Obama I don't see an economic growth plan from either of them. I know I am going on a little rough on Hillary since its not 2015-2016 yet and she last ran for President in 2008 but I just think she is gonna be the same as Obama.

[stevekamp]

Neither the Dems nor the GOP will die out because since the publicly printed Australian Ballot was adopted in 1888-1916 (roughly), both major parties have a statutory ballot position (the Kentucky election law even refers to the "two dominant political parties") that can be lost only if their registered voter number or candidate performance falls below a very low threshold (one percent in some states).  Minor parties, in contrast, have to petition their way on to the ballot, and then face the additional barrier of Duverger's Law: in a three-candidate race, people don't like to waste their votes, and the minor party candidates become the tail wagging the dog (though in 2010 Maine, it was the D who finished third and elected Paul LePage).

Thus, no party is likely to "go the way of the Whigs", because when the Whigs collapsed in 1854, they simply stopped printing ballots, and the new Republican Party simply took over their voter base.

While Ds and Rs will be jousting in 2088 (much to the dismay of the No Labels crowd), their ideology and support base may be unrecognizable, much as the current D vs R, blue vs red (Atlas red vs blue) division is a mirroe image of the 1860 and 1896 maps 

[RosettaStoned]

 The GOP will make the necessary changes. In the future, they will resemble Britain's Conservative Party.

[Cassius]

Hillary and Obama aren't into  economic growth.

Sorry hopps, its the GOP that opposes growth.

I'm just talking about Democrat politicians not Republicans. The Republicans have a number of their own problems as we all know.

I think Christie or Pence are pro-growth GOP economic politicians but of course they are not in Washington DC right now.

Neoliberalism has killed growth, and that's the ideology of the GOP, no?

In what sense has it killed growth?

[Person Man]

Hillary and Obama aren't into  economic growth.

Sorry hopps, its the GOP that opposes growth.

I'm just talking about Democrat politicians not Republicans. The Republicans have a number of their own problems as we all know.

I think Christie or Pence are pro-growth GOP economic politicians but of course they are not in Washington DC right now.

Neoliberalism has killed growth, and that's the ideology of the GOP, no?

In what sense has it killed growth?

Well, what the US GDP average annual change between 2000 and 2008 compared to 1960 and 1968? This was a very over simplistic question but I am open to whatever the data shows.

[opebo]

Neoliberalism has killed growth, and that's the ideology of the GOP, no?

In what sense has it killed growth?

Lack of demand, obviously. 

[Person Man]

Neoliberalism has killed growth, and that's the ideology of the GOP, no?

In what sense has it killed growth?

Lack of demand, obviously. 

Well, there is still demand but it is probably not a ubiquitous throughout the entire population as it once did. Let's just put it this way- its easier to sell a $20 Faded Glory hoodie or a $800 Burberry jacket but harder to sell a $150 Polo or Tommy jacket than it was 10 years ago. 

[opebo]

Neoliberalism has killed growth, and that's the ideology of the GOP, no?

In what sense has it killed growth?

Lack of demand, obviously. 

Well, there is still demand but it is probably not a ubiquitous throughout the entire population as it once did. Let's just put it this way- its easier to sell a $20 Faded Glory hoodie or a $800 Burberry jacket but harder to sell a $150 Polo or Tommy jacket than it was 10 years ago. 

The big change is not about silly over-marketed rags, but about cars, houses, boats, second homes, holiday packages etc.  The working class needs to be making $50-100,000/year household income in order to properly consume.  The rich can never consume enough to make an industrial economy run to maximum production.

[Indy Texas 🇺🇦🇵🇸]

Hillary and Obama aren't into  economic growth.

Sorry hopps, its the GOP that opposes growth.

I'm just talking about Democrat politicians not Republicans. The Republicans have a number of their own problems as we all know.

I think Christie or Pence are pro-growth GOP economic politicians but of course they are not in Washington DC right now.

Neoliberalism has killed growth, and that's the ideology of the GOP, no?

No that's not it at all. I have said there is Dems that are for economic growth from past presidents but Hillary and Obama I don't see an economic growth plan from either of them. I know I am going on a little rough on Hillary since its not 2015-2016 yet and she last ran for President in 2008 but I just think she is gonna be the same as Obama.

Hopper, have you looked at the way the stock market is doing and recent GDP figures? We have economic growth. The problem is that the gains from that growth more or less evaporate once you get outside the top 10% of Americans or so, and economic growth is increasingly disconnected from job growth.

I'd remind you that when your own party controlled the White House for 8 years and all three branches of government for 6 of those 8, this country had the worst job growth since Herbert Hoover.