Politically moribund would be a good way to describe the current Democratic and Republican structures in the U.S. Both parties are currently controlled by their extremes, and neither seems to represent the majority of their own constituents. Hence, they are politically moribund parties.
Let’s examine the two parties individually against the background of the country’s political design as laid out by the Founding Fathers.
The U.S. system of government at the Federal level consists of two political parties, the Democratic Party and the Republican Party, the House of Representatives, and the Senate. (I am not including the agencies, which carry out the policies of the politicians). The process at all levels of that system is based on discussion, compromise and consensus. It requires some common ground and some common philosophy, mixed with some ability to see the other side’s point of view. It also assumes a certain level of ethics and, dare I say, civics, if it is to work effectively – I will refrain from saying efficiently, which is too much to ask!
When the ideas and policies from each party fail to meet any of these criteria, the system doesn’t work. Everyone is yelling and no-one is listening. Politically moribund!
I would suggest that they we are growing closer and closer to that impasse at the present time, if we haven’t already reached it. Politically moribund is a good way of describing the situation. Neither party is serving their supposed constituents, and, individually and collectively, they are not serving the country.
The Democratic Party seems to have totally lost its way. They are more concerned with arguing internally in a storm of self-destruction sound-bites than they are with looking forward. A good example is the recent, significant, success that President Biden has had in passing significant bills. They have received at least as much abuse from within the Democratic Party as they have from the Republicans, maybe more. Despite Biden’s efforts to retain “middle-left” policies, he is being stymied at almost every turn by the far left “progressives” – a misnomer if ever I heard one.
I have said several times that if the Democratic Party actually represented the constituency they claim to champion, they would win every election easily; there are far more poor and middle class people than there are rich ones, who the Republicans claim to represent. The hypocrisy and visionless antics of many democratic leaders only adds to their inability to represent anyone but themselves. It’s a total mess. The country deserves far better.
The Republican Party appears, on the surface, to be more organized, committed and cohesive. That’s a reality, but also an illusion. The constituency that is controlling the Republican Party is organized, committed and cohesive but it is built around fanatical fringe beliefs. What used to be called the Silent Majority, is still silent. The fight over abortion is a good example here. The majority of registered Republicans favor some form of abortion but the religious fanatics want to ban it completely, and add contraception, birth control, and gay sex to that ban. Traditional conservatism, the traditional Republican base belief, is being led around by the nose by the extreme right. Again, the country deserves far better.
Both parties are politically moribund, and seem incapable of restoring their traditional values, or in governing with the best interests of the majority of the American electorate in mind.
I listened to an interview on PBS’s Firing Line with former New Jersey Governor Christine Todd Whitman, a traditional Republican. She said that we may need two completely new political parties: A center left party and a center right party. In that way the American system of government might stand a chance of working again. She said she has little hope that the current parties can change their current course of extremism, which could well lead to the demise of America’s great experiment with democracy. The system cannot work, and wasn’t designed to work, with two extreme factions as parties.
Maybe the answer is, for a least one new party, Christine Todd Whitman for President, as leader of the “Independent” vote, which, according to recent polls, now represents over 50% of the population.
