Mott the Hoople
Sweet Jane
Here's an excellent article that describes the predicament today's GOP has. For thirty years now it has been a party that has embraced movement conservatism that has espoused traditionally conservative social views while promoting economic views that are primarily beneficial to those at the very top of the socio-economic ladder. Somewhere down the line they have thus lost their reality check with whom it is they represent. What the GOP is having a hard time admitting to itself isn't that Trump does not represent the GOP establishment or movement conservatism. What Trump does represent, with his rhetoric, is the base of the Republican party. Which is more than you can say about the GOP establishment leaders.
http://www.theguardian.com/commenti...lican-voter-base-gop-leaders-denial?CMP=fb_us
That's not to give Democrats a break. Establishment leaders of the Democratic party have essentially done the same thing as the GOP, though there is less anger in the Democratic base, it is still there boiling under the surface. Democratic leaders have sipped the mothers milk of politics and liked it. They have created a coalition of socially conscience wealthy elites that have largely provided lip service to the needs of their party's base while mostly ignoring them and taking their votes for granted. Thus you've seen the rise of Bernie Sanders who, like Trump is more representative of the Democratic base than Hillary is. To be sure that base is just as "appealingly populist" but instead of racist, sexist and xenophobic, they are entitled, self-centered and dismissive. They are angry too if not to the degree of the GOP base.
That should give Democratic partisans pause to think. If you think the current GOP circus train has been funny as hell and their presumptive nominee a joke. Well take a good long hard look cause that's where the Democrats are going to be in a another election cycle or two if the Dems don't start substantively addressing the needs of their parties base. The Democratic party elites are just as guilty of looking down on their base and taking their votes for granted as the GOP is.
http://www.theguardian.com/commenti...lican-voter-base-gop-leaders-denial?CMP=fb_us
That's not to give Democrats a break. Establishment leaders of the Democratic party have essentially done the same thing as the GOP, though there is less anger in the Democratic base, it is still there boiling under the surface. Democratic leaders have sipped the mothers milk of politics and liked it. They have created a coalition of socially conscience wealthy elites that have largely provided lip service to the needs of their party's base while mostly ignoring them and taking their votes for granted. Thus you've seen the rise of Bernie Sanders who, like Trump is more representative of the Democratic base than Hillary is. To be sure that base is just as "appealingly populist" but instead of racist, sexist and xenophobic, they are entitled, self-centered and dismissive. They are angry too if not to the degree of the GOP base.
That should give Democratic partisans pause to think. If you think the current GOP circus train has been funny as hell and their presumptive nominee a joke. Well take a good long hard look cause that's where the Democrats are going to be in a another election cycle or two if the Dems don't start substantively addressing the needs of their parties base. The Democratic party elites are just as guilty of looking down on their base and taking their votes for granted as the GOP is.
