A political realignment occurring?

Posted by AzBlueMeanie:

The Washington Independent reports a Majority of Republicans want a third party for the first time:

For the first time since Gallup began polling the public on the issue, a majority of Republicans back the establishment of a third political party. Although support for a third party among all Americans is actually down from last year, the rise of the tea party may be responsible for the leap in Republican third party support — as well as the perhaps fear-of-the-tea-party-driven drop in third-party backing among Democrats.

Gallup has the breakdown on its website, which includes the little-acknowledged fact that independents overwhelmingly want a third party and always have:

Interestingly, the poll also includes a potential barometer of ideological identification across the country. When asked to identify themselves by political party, 72 percent of self-styled independents called for a third party, compared to just 33 percent of Democrats. But when asked to identify themselves by general ideology, support for a third party among moderates dropped to 52 percent, while support among liberals rose to 51 percent.

Support for a third party held steady at 52 percent across self-identified Republicans and conservatives, suggesting that very few independents identified as conservative, while more than one in four independents identified as liberal.

If a quarter of independents consider themselves liberal and the rest are strictly moderate, it could move the 2012 presidential election in a number of directions. That bloc of liberal-but-not-Democrat voters could end up being a lock for President Obama, leaving it to the Republican candidate — already working with a smaller base than that held by the Democratic party — to fight for every last moderate’s vote. This would all but ensure an Obama victory unless more than two-thirds of non-party-affiliated moderates vote Republican.

Take aways: First, this is a center-left country despite the myth perpetrated by the corporate media based upon long-ago outdated polling.

Second, the Democratic Party would improve its standing with more than one-quarter of "independents" if it would just stand up for Democratic Party values and principles and not allow DLC/Third Way, New Democrats and Blue Dog Democrats (i.e., conservative corporatist Democrats) to set the agenda and to compromise those values and principles by selling us out to Republicans in pursuit of "bipartisanship," which for Republican leadership is defined as "my way or no way."

Third, the remaining moderate "independents" are formerly Republicans who are disgusted with the far-right shift of the GOP to its fringe elements. A large percentage of these voters still vote Republican, however, out of habit or party identification. That could change.

We could be witnessing the long anticipated political realignment of the American electorate occurring. As I have argued previously, the GOP is a host body that has been hollowed out by its parasite far-right fringe. Radical extremists hijacked the party brand name to give ready legitimacy and acceptance to their extremist agenda under the Republican Party brand name. Their extremist agenda is far removed from traditional Republican Party values and principles. "This is not your father's GOP."

Your father's GOP, the "Party of Lincoln," exists in name only — and radical extremists are using that brand name today. They are unlikely to give it back to traditional Republicans who have left the GOP and are now moderate "independents."

The first thing that formerly Republican moderate "independents" need to do is to stop voting out of habit or party identification. Stop enabling the very radical extremists with whom you disagree. This is self-defeating. Accept the fact that the (R) behind a candidate's name today means "radical," not Republican.

Secondly, formerly Republican moderate "independents" need to come to terms with the realization that you are at an historical crossroads. You can either continue to enable far-right radical extremists to set a radical agenda that dishonors the history of the "Party of Lincoln," or you can blaze a path to establish a new political party which more accurately reflects your traditional Republican Party values and principles. Stand up and fight back! You can disempower the radical extremists and force them back to the fringe.

We share a common opponent. We can work together to defeat them and to restore sanity to public policy and governance.