If you thought you would turn on your television and all the news networks would be talking about was swine flu (or pig-bird-man flu) or Obama’s 100 Days in office, then you may have been surprised to see Pennsylvania Republican Arlen Specter’s party switch to Democrat upstaging both stories.
Just yesterday, I was wondering if I would need to get a supply of Tamiflu. I was also wondering how I would weigh in on Obama’s first 100 days.
Inevitably, I will post thoughts in the next couple days like everyone (this 100 days is an event like an American Idol finale and every blogger wants their thoughts to have 15 minutes of fame). Today, however, I am thinking about what the impact of a Specter switch will have.
In many respects, this raises the question of what is the future of progressive politics within the Democratic Party.
Doesn’t the switch and Obama’s welcome signify that the party would like to maintain this image that they are a moderate or left of center party? And, isn’t it interesting how the Democratic Party is more appealing to moderate Republicans?
It says many things, but I’ll single out two---
One, this shows how the Republican Party has become a party dominated by the fringe. This is the party that turned a maverick like John McCain into a loser because its leaders thought in order for McCain to win Sarah Palin would have to be his running mate.
Moderate politics within the Republican Party have been close to death for some time. From Karl Rove smear campaigns to FOX News to tax day tea parties (which may all be one in the same; FOX News is a Karl Rove smear campaign and the tax day tea parties were FOX News and a Karl Rove smear campaign is a tax day tea party) --- I digress.
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