big tent
In politics, a big tent refers to a party that welcomes individuals from all walks of life and encourages them to become members of the party. A political party that is strictly focused on only a few subjects or that caters to a certain interest group would be considered the polar opposite of “big tent.” According to Merriam Webster, the word was first used in its modern, political definition in 1975, when it was coined. The term “big-tent” can be used as an adjective as well. The advantages of having a large tent are self-evident.
This organization is not bound to any particular group since it has a broad base of support.
As President Barack Obama pointed out during the 2019 primary season, having a large tent frees a party from the necessity for a “litmus test” or an ideological “purity test,” which would otherwise be required.
President Barack Obama stated that “we will not win simply by boosting the turnout of individuals who already agree with us absolutely on everything.” “For this reason, I am always wary of purity tests conducted during political campaigns.” Why?
Alexandria Ocasio Cortez, a Democratic-Socialist member of Congress from New York, has attacked the Democratic Party for being overly inclusive at points in her political career.
According to Ocasio Cortez, the Congressional Progressive Caucus should establish some form of restrictions on who may join, but instead “they allow anybody who the cat pulled in call themselves a progressive.” “There is no such thing as a standard.” It might be difficult for commentators to agree on what constitutes a “large tent” in practical terms.
Journalists get enthusiastic about the Republican Party’s expanding tent from time to time, especially when the party looks to be veering away from social conservative positions.
An article in the New York Times quoted long-time Republican consultant Frank Luntz as saying that a Schwarzenegger victory would “send a strong message that the Republican Party is big enough to include a pro-abortion, pro-gay rights Hollywood superstar who has admitted to woman abuse and marijuana use.” Writing in The Federalist in 2016, Mitchell Blatt stated that the Republican Party is really the “genuine” large tent party; Blatt cited the fact that the Republican presidential candidates talked about socialized healthcare and the legalizing of drugs as evidence of this assertion.
He interpreted this as a sign that the party was broadening its reach into new territories. NPR, on the other hand, has suggested that the Republicans’ vast tent is “lily white,” which ultimately restricts how broad the party can genuinely be.
Big Tent Republicans PAC – Let’s be a bigger, better party.
Generally speaking, in politics, a “large tent” refers to a party that is open to a broad range of individuals and encourages them to join. A party that is strictly focused on only a few subjects or that caters to a certain interest group would be considered the polar opposite of a “big tent.” It was 1975, according to Merriam Webster, when the term was used for the first time in its current political context. As an adjective, “big-tent” can refer to a large structure. A large tent has several advantages that cannot be overlooked.
It is not bound to any particular group since it enjoys widespread support.
As Barack Obama pointed out during the 2019 primary season, having a large tent frees a party from the requirement for a “litmus test” or an ideological “purity test.” Barack Obama warned against restricting the Democratic Party’s ability to mobilize supporters in California while speaking to a gathering of Democratic donors.
- Why?
- Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York, a Democratic-Socialist member of Congress, has criticized the Democratic Party for being too inclusive on occasion.
- According to Ocasio Cortez, the Congressional Progressive Caucus should establish some sort of restrictions on who may join, but instead “they allow anybody who the cat pulled in call themselves a progressive.” The term “standard” refers to the absence of one.
- The Republican Party appears to be an open-door policy party at the moment.
- The election of Arnold Schwarzenegger as governor of California, according to the New York Times, was an indication that the Republican Party was, in fact, opening up.
The fact that the party was extending into new area, he believed, was a sign of this. Republicans’ enormous tent, according to NPR, is “lily white,” which, in the end, restricts how broad the party can actually be.
Definition of BIG TENT
US: a composition or character that is broadly inclusive in nature, allowing people from a variety of backgrounds, viewpoints, and interests to be members of a group or organization (such as a political party). While Democrats faced with what amounted to a case of “values shock” following the 2016 election, the phrase “big tent” was becoming frighteningly common as the Party coped with the post-election notion that Democrats are losing because they had lost touch with mainstream American values.
- Boyer, The New Yorker, November 14, 2005 I have a great deal of confidence in the Republican Party’s tent.
- It extends all the way from the right side of the track, crossing the center line in the process.
- The president of the United States, as cited in Rolling Stone on October 14, 2010, also refers to a group or organization with a broadly inclusive makeup or nature.
- — William Schneider, CNN, May 24th, 2001.
- Orthodox Judaism is a diverse community.
- but also on the absurd.
Unease in the GOP’s ‘Big Tent’
Rep. Kevin McCarthy, the House Minority Leader, believes that the Republican Party should be a “very big tent,” one that, in his opinion, has plenty of room for both the Liz Cheneys and the Marjorie Taylor Greenes of a party that is still trying to figure out what it wants to be in the post-Trump era. McCarthy has made it clear during the last 48 hours that both are welcome in the present version of the Republican Party, as the party strives to depict unity following weeks of stormy internal fights and a confrontational gathering of the whole GOP conference.
On Wednesday night, Cheney comfortably retained her position as conference chairwoman, despite the fact that a small number of members wanted her removed from the position because of her vote to impeach former President Donald Trump.
Most people have condemned her comments, which include denials of the September 11th terrorist attack and school shootings.
However, after she expressed regret, the Republican Party came to her defense, concluding that her transgressions were not as harmful as Democrats’ efforts to sanction her were.
Cartoons on the Republican Party
“It’s just one illustration of how the Republican Party has grown into a very large tent. Everyone is cordially welcomed “McCarthy made the statement during an hours-long conference meeting in which his members discreetly voiced concerns and addressed both the Cheney and Greene feuds, as well as other issues. “And if you look at the results of the last election, we are continuing to expand and will be in the majority in two years.” To navigate this tough terrain, McCarthy has chosen to embrace both wings of his conference — one with possible benefits, but also a number of landmines as the midterm elections in 2022 draw nearer.
Republicans also run the danger of being associated with a divisive congresswoman who might further alienate suburban voters, particularly women, who have flocked to Democrats since 2016, as well as people in previously traditionally red states who shifted to blue in the past election, as was the case in 2016.
However, the resistance from nearly a dozen Republicans – some of whom are vulnerable in the next election and others who represent areas that have had terrible mass shootings – demonstrates the discomfort that will prevail in the coming months.
Unlike McCarthy, who recently met with President Donald Trump in Florida to discuss his future involvement in politics, Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky has all but wiped his hands clean of the former president, even blaming him for “provoking” the mobs that swarmed the Capitol last month.
- As for the controversy surrounding Cheney and Greene, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid went out of his way to interject himself into the fracas that was unfolding in the House.
- He then expressed his unequivocal support for Cheney’s continued leadership of the House of Representatives and praised her for acting with conviction.
- The problems concerning Cheney and Greene have peaked at a moment when Republicans are dealing with their identity and being tugged in many directions over whether or not to continue in the pattern of Donald Trump.
- She had been considered a possible leader of the party, but her vote to impeach President Donald Trump drew widespread condemnation both in Congress and at home.
- “We have to become a party of ideas, programs, and ideals, and we have to stay away from those who are interested in conspiracy theories.” Greene, on the other hand, has only been in the House for a month and has already gained notoriety during her brief term.
- It was only after Trump ran for president in 2016 that she became involved in politics, emphasizing how she represents a faction of the conference — the same members who turned on Cheney over her impeachment vote – that is unyielding in its support for the former president.
- However, she has attempted to portray herself as a victim of the media and technology corporations, who she claims have misrepresented her words and character in their reporting.
- “Using teeny small parts of words that I’ve spoken, or words that you’ve said, the big media firms may depict us as someone we are not, and that is incorrect.
- What do you think?
While some Republicans question if the two opposing political ideologies can coexist, other Republicans feel they can go forward as long as they can get back on track with a “future-oriented vision.” “Let’s face it, I want to be associated with a political party, and that’s exactly what I joined, and that’s what we’re fighting for.
- In the absence of a litmus test, I’d like to advocate for the notion that we must strive for an optimistic and forward-looking future.
- With thin majorities in both houses of Congress, Democrats have the difficult task of exceeding midterm election history, which historically has seen the ruling party suffer large electoral losses during the president’s first term.
- On Thursday, McGovern spoke from the House floor, explaining that it was beneficial not to alienate certain sorts of voters in this nation, even if they believe in and support the policies and ideals that Ms.
- “That’s what this is all about,” says the author.
- Republicans are concerned about both the short- and long-term ramifications of their actions moving ahead, particularly with realistic chances of regaining control of the House and Senate next year.
- “House members don’t like it when we pass judgment on them, but I believe that as a party, we must figure out what we stand for.
The president stated, “I do not believe it is a productive course of action, nor do I believe it will lead to much political prosperity in the future.”
Do Republicans really want ‘a bigger tent’ party?
(CNN) On Sunday’s “Meet the Press,” Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan was questioned about his vision for the future of the Republican Party. His response was broadcast live on NBC. What he stated in part (bolding is mine) is as follows: “I’m not sure what will happen in November, but I do know that the Republican Party will be looking ahead to what will happen after President Trump, whether that is in four months or four years from now. And I believe they will be considering the question of “How do we go about creating a larger tent party?” You know, I’m in Maryland, which is the bluest state in America, and I was just reelected overwhelmingly in 2018 by reaching out, trying to find that middle ground where people can stand together, avoiding divisive rhetoric, winning suburban women, winning over Democrats, winning over Independents, and winning with minority votes.
- And I believe it is something that the Republican Party will have to consider in the future.
- It is after all, politics that is about adding rather than removal.
- (CNN) When questioned about his vision for the Republican Party’s future on NBC’s “Meet the Press,” Maryland Gov.
- And I believe they will be considering the question of “How can we go about creating a larger tent party?”.
- This is something I believe the Republican Party will have to consider in the coming years.
- After all, politics is about adding rather than removal.
- Consider the following straightforward comparison to demonstrate my point: Hispanic voters supported President George W.
Specifically, he accomplished this via his advocacy for comprehensive immigration reform and his refusal to demonize immigrants – including those who were in the country illegally – for his own political advantage.
Alternatively, consider the following: Bush suffered a 9-point loss among young voters (those between the ages of 18 and 29) in 2004.
Alternatively, consider this: Bush lost by three points among women in 2004.
This trend persisted in 2018, with Republican House candidates losing by a margin of 19 points among female voters.
Immediately following President Barack Obama’s reelection victory in 2012, the Republican National Committee commissioned an investigation into why they had lost and what the party needed to do differently in order to win in 2014.
It is imperative that the Republican Party stop talking to itself.
We have become experts at providing ideological reinforcement to like-minded people, but we have lost our ability to be persuasive with, or welcoming to, those who do not agree with us on every issue.
Not universal purity, but rather a more accepting conservatism, should be our benchmark.” That report was published in March of 2013.
No one should be surprised that among the Republican candidates Trump defeated was Jeb Bush, the younger brother of former President George H.W.
That is a point of view in which I am strongly opposed.
Tom Cotton (Arkansas), Sen. Josh Hawley (Missouri), Vice President Mike Pence, and Donald Trump Jr. – are all running on the underlying principles of Trumpism in different ways.
Furthermore, Trumpism is not founded on the notion that the Republican Party requires a larger tent. It is based on the belief that the tent is already large enough, and that the best approach to win is not to extend the tent with more liberal policies, but rather to strengthen the tent with unapologetic views on issues like as immigration and police. It is a more in-depth philosophy, rather than a broader one. Consider this: I understand that for Hogan, a moderate, to have a shot at being the Republican Party’s leader in the future, he will need his hopes for a big-tent Republicanism to materialize.
The GOP Big Tent Is Full of Holes
When the multimillionaire publisher and alleged space alien announced in Iowa, accurately but impolitely, that the Christian Coalition “does not speak for the majority of Christians,” he simply aggravated the situation. A week later, his election campaign was on its way to a stalemate. Nonetheless, despite Forbes’s overall failure, his creative dodge on abortion has gained the approval of many prominent Republicans. In their opinion, the Republican Party should declare itself officially pro-life, dedicating itself to enacting whatever restrictions are possible under current law, but abandon the hard-core anti-abortion language of its 1992 platform.
- “It’ll never work,” Jeffrey Bell predicts with a chuckle.
- A proposal of this nature would elicit a ferocious response at the conference.” Alexander informs me that, the day following Forbes’s meeting with NARAL, he believes that an abortion debate at the convention is almost certain.
- “Will it be detrimental to the party?
- Yes, that’s a problem.” In other words, this is what the Republican Party can expect in the year that was meant to mark the beginning of a new period under the leadership of conservatives.
- Who would run for president if he were either a septuagenarian senator or a plaid-shirted pretender, as it appeared to be at the time of this writing?
- “I believe it is now abundantly evident that the 1996 election will not be the realigning election,” Eisenach admits.
- There are a couple of exceptions: Newt is an exception to the rule.
Tom Daschle, on the other hand, is an exception.
However, the reality may be far more severe.
According to Phillips, a time of structural disorder is likely to be in store for our political system in the near future “The big political parties are dying, while splinter groups are increasing.
From the beginning of the century until the present day, it has been painfully obvious that the Democratic Party is an unstoppable mess: an increasingly disorganized collection of fads and groups that have little in common except for a shared historical past.
It was their desire to have less government and greater freedom, as Gramm expressed it.
Indeed, the fastest-growing segment of the Republican Party desires greater freedom – provided that it does not result in what cultural conservatives consider to be moral turpitude in society.
When it comes to the Republican Party, “I’d be a little worried about what they could accomplish if they didn’t have the authoritarian, culturally conservative component of their party,” says Al From, chairman of the moderate Democratic Leadership Council.
They won’t be able to get off the ground without the weakened model of party politics, which will continue to exist as long as the model is in place. –
big tent
The Big Tent is the setting for soulful down-home food. It appears like bigtentor groupspaces may be a viable choice for me. We are a bigtentparty, and we embrace any and all points of view. In the current climate, you have the large tent -pole blockbusters and the independent flicks, with little in between. Our top-of-the-ticket candidate does not subscribe to the bigtentprinciples of my political party. Historically, it’s been a large tent with a variety of various items under it. However, this is the type of argument that should be taking place under the broad tent of a genuine equality movement.
- With the goal of making everyone happy theologically, we attempted to design such a large tent.
- The film is presented in a large tent located in the centre of the park, and admission is free.
- The show was free, and audience members were welcome to observe one of many signers who were stationed throughout thebigtent during the intermission.
- It had set up shop at the county fair in its large tent and appeared to be doing a brisk business, according to reports.
- Any viewpoints expressed in the examples do not necessarily reflect the views of the Cambridge Dictionary editors, Cambridge University Press, or its licensors, who are not represented by the examples.
What happened to the GOP’s big tent?
I’ve been a Republican since 1964, when I worked as an envelope stuffer for Barry Goldwater’s presidential campaign. I’ve never seen the Republican Party in such disarray as it is right now. There is a threat of intramural strife in the horizon. If there is a family argument, I hope it will be a friendly one rather than a full-on catastrophic battle. We Republicans lost the previous two elections, some say, because we are “not conservative enough,” that we have wandered too far away from the “base.” I am perfectly aware that there are others inside the party who believe this.
- Let us have a look at some unassailable facts.
- We had two Republican senators, a Republican governor, a Republican-dominated legislature, and a Republican-majority congressional delegation while I was growing up.
- Dems hold both U.S.
- What exactly happened?
- In a little way, but not nearly enough to explain for the drastic shift in political fortunes.
- Because of this division, you don’t need a doctorate in political science to see that neither party can win on its own, and that the party that gets the greatest number of independent votes will be the one that prevails on election day.
- Why?
It was put on the ballot in Colorado by the ultra-right, who feel that abortion is a political issue that should take precedence over all others.
It failed with a staggering 73 percent of the vote.
So much for religious and moral litmus tests to determine whether or not someone is qualified to be a Republican!
He thought that only by uniting as a “large tent” could the Republican Party win elections.
If the hard right wants to cleanse the party of moderates whom they sometimes derisively refer to as “RINOS” (Republicans in name only), they would do well to think about Reagan’s concept of government.
Republicans will never be able to win elections if moderates are “purged.” Such narrow-mindedness would result in themoveon gaining control of the levers of power.
This is still fundamentally a center-right country, and Colorado is a center-right state in the United States.
To exclude anybody is to relegate the Republican Party to the status of political irrelevance.
That would result in long-term one-party control, which would be disastrous for Colorado and the rest of the country. Richard Stacy is a retired United States Administrative Law Judge who previously served as United States Attorney for Wyoming for 13 years after being nominated by President Reagan.
Big tent
Having worked as an envelope stuffer for Barry Goldwater in 1964, I’ve always identified as a Republican. This is the most disarray I’ve ever seen the Republican Party in. On the horizon comes the possibility of intramural strife. If there is a family argument, I hope it will be a friendly one rather than a full-blown disastrous war. The fact that some Republicans believe we lost the previous two elections because we are “not conservative enough” and that our party has strayed too far from its “base” is well known to me.
- Examine a few indisputable facts to get the ball rolling.
- The state had two Republican senators, a Republican governor, a legislature that was mostly Republican, and a Republican-controlled congressional delegation.
- Dems hold both U.S.
- What exactly transpired?- Has there been a shift in the demographics?
- In this state, according to political data, the electorate is broadly divided into three groups: one-third Republican, one-third Democrat (with the remaining one-third independent).
- The Democrats have won the previous two presidential elections.
- As an example, look no farther than the outcome of Amendment 48, the so-called “personhood” amendment, in the most recent presidential election.
According to the proposed amendment, life begins at conception and that abortion would be considered murder if carried out.
In other words, not only did the 66 percent of the voters who identify as Democrats and independents practically vote in unison against it, but a significant number of Republicans did as well.
In my previous employer, Ronald Reagan, who was also a political idol of mine, such litmus tests were not acceptable.
By appealing to not only religious conservatives but also economic conservatives, moderates, and a sizable number of Democrats, he was successful in winning big on two separate occasions.
Without doing so, the extreme left wing of the Democratic Party will be given carte blanche to construct their own version of history going forward.
generations to come will be a part of orgcrowd This is still fundamentally a center-right country, and Colorado is a center-right state in its own right.
It is political irrelevance to exclude anyone from the Republican Party.
Long-term one-party control would result, which would be disastrous for both Colorado and the United States. Having been nominated by President Reagan, Richard Stacy served as United States Attorney for Wyoming for 13 years. He is a retired Administrative Law Judge for the United States.
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Small Tent or Big Tent?
When describing the extent to which a political party is exclusive or inclusive, the term “large tent” or “small tent” is used to define whether or not the party is a “big tent.” This comparison is most often used in the context of the Republican Party, which is where it originated. A party’s political appeal is described by the words “large tent” and “little tent,” which are used to characterize the breadth and depth of its political appeal, respectively. When the Republican Party is referred to as having a “tiny tent,” the implication is that the political beliefs held by the party reflect a sector of the voting population that is too limited.
- It’s debatable how frequently these proposed adjustments are the product of research and analysis.
- The concept of sticking up for one’s principles is almost never mentioned, and those who advocate for change are nearly always opposed to the ideas they advocate for being modified.
- It succeeds in doing so to varied degrees the majority of the time — and suffers as a result at the polls.
- Once again, it does so whenever it symbolizes business and management at the price of freedom and liberty.
- After failing to fully embrace freedom and liberty, both major political parties are forced to compete on the basis of short-term populism, defamation campaigns, and rhetorical prowess.
- If the Republican Party wants to grow into a “big tent” party, it must stand up for freedom and liberty, even when doing so runs counter to the immediate interests of business and management.
- In addition, is there any question that this more limited picture of the Republican Party is the image that it retains with a significant percentage of the voting public today?
Every election cycle, Republicans make the error of presenting themes that are largely appealing to the business sector as if the concerns were more broadly appealing.
However, as a standalone statement, it falls well short of what it could have been and opens the door to all of the typical differences between labor and management that have existed for decades.
This is not a mix that will appeal just to conservatives in the political spectrum.
Liberals in general, contrary to popular belief, are not enthusiastic about government.
Conservatives dislike and dread the same entities and situations as liberals, but they feel that granting the government greater authority will only make things worse.
According to current polls, neither major political party in this country can claim to have a “big tent” appeal that can be embraced by the majority of the population.
Let there be no doubt about it: both of these feelings are intertwined with the hope that freedom and liberty will be restored.
However, in recent years, it has become an advantage that Republicans are eager to tout but are unable to deliver on.
It is far too often the case that “our” special interests are pitted against “their” special interests.
The perennial and potentially “large tent”-producing topics, such as freedom and liberty, continue to be available and up for grabs in a political sense while this is going on.
Neither the Mackinac Center for Public Policy nor Michigan Capitol Confidential necessarily endorses the opinions expressed in his writings.
Please note that permission to reproduce any of the comments below is only allowed for those comments submitted by policy employees at the Mackinac Center.
Grieder: New ‘big tent’ party in Texas might have a real role in statewide political landscape
A new political party in Texas hopes to capitalize on voters’ dissatisfaction with partisan politics and convert it into a powerful force in the state’s forthcoming elections by forming a coalition with other parties. The former Florida congressman and executive director of the nationwide Serve America Movement told me during a meeting at Maggiano’s on Sunday evening that “dramatic investment in public schools and robust school choice” are possible. “You can see Roe v Wade as protecting a woman’s right to choose, but also as establishing the state’s interest in viability,” said Jolly, who is also the former Florida congressman and executive director of the nationwide Serve America Movement.
- “There’s no subtlety,” acknowledged Bill King, a former mayor of Kemah and businessman who is now the chairman of the SAM Party of Texas, which is the state’s version of the Serve America Movement.
- They indicated that the new SAM Party alternative seeks to be a large-tent party with a platform that is centered on values rather than specific topics, such as problem-solving, transparency, and democratic change, rather than issues per se.
- Choosing a place on the spectrum and declaring, “Everyone come here,” according to Jolly, would be akin to repeating the same failure point that the two major parties have been saying.
- Adding, “It’s not just difficult to bring someone from the left and someone from the right to that position, but your own politics may be on the left and on the right!” he explained, using himself as an example.
- In 2018, Jolly officially resigned from the Republican Party.
- They stated that this is the best approach to get things started in Texas, however they acknowledged that there would be more work to be done next year to get people on the ballot.
- The fact that the Texans who support this endeavor can’t already be associated with another political party by participating in its nomination process is an additional stumbling block.
- The SAM Party of Texas, according to the laws of probability, might have an influence on the state’s elections next year.
- However, the reality is that there are more Republicans than Democrats in Texas.
- Democrats have showed indications of resurgence in recent elections, gaining up seats in the legislature and switching crucial offices in big metropolitan areas like as Harris County, among other things.
Greg Abbott, appear to be jockeying for position in the Republican primary, as if they regard the general election to be a foregone conclusion It’s difficult to estimate how many lifelong Republican voters in Texas have been forced to abandon their political party as a result of the election results.
- Recent presidential elections provide one piece of evidence in this regard.
- In 2016, Johnson was the Libertarian nominee, and he received twice as much support from Republicans as he did in 2012.
- Sen.
- Due to their strong showings in 2018, the latter two are running for re-election next year.
- (Paxton is also being challenged in the Republican primary by Land Commissioner George P.
- “52 percent of the population is dead in the middle of the spectrum!” he exclaimed.
Politicians who are committed to tackling the state’s real problems rather than simply positioning themselves for the next primary election will find an audience, but it will be small. [email protected]
The death of ‘big-tent’ political parties
There clearly appears to be a large number of individuals today who do not want anything to do with either major political party. However, it doesn’t appear like any of the political parties are very interested in working with most of them. Republican candidates are increasingly being compelled to state their unwavering loyalty to Donald Trump’s wing of the party as a condition of moving on in primary elections, much like clicking the “I am not a robot” box when filling out an internet form.
Just last week, for example, Dean Heller, who had previously defined himself as “99 percent against Trump,” made it quite plain that he is delighted to toe the “Stop the Steal” political party line and support the movement.
Heller may as well start his next fundraising email with the words “How are you doing, fellow Trump supporters?” much as Steve Buscemi did in 30 Rock while wearing a backwards hat and riding a skateboard.
That aim may be achieved more quickly by delivering some red meat to a segment of the Republican Party that is not only large in number but also astonishingly hostile toward candidates who fail to exhibit “enough” affection for the former president.
Conservatives who have been very fair in their criticism of Trump have been pilloried, and they have frequently been downgraded from advocates of conservatism to boogeymen of “the swamp.” Even the former vice president has drawn the ire of Trump supporters for his failure to reverse the election, despite the fact that doing so would have been well outside the scope of his constitutional authority.
- However, although the majority of the emphasis has been focused on the Republican Party’s internal problems, the left has also been grappling with its fair share of intolerant extremists who demand ideological uniformity inside their own party’s ranks.
- Compared to the days of “big tent” politics, where each party intentionally recruited as many electable candidates as possible.
- the current prevalent tendency in politics is quite the opposite.
- That’s why Bill Clinton shifted to the center of the political spectrum in the 1990s, and why George W.
- In today’s political climate, however, the dominating voices in both parties appear to be considerably less concerned with diversity than they are with intellectual homogeneity.
And while such debates have raged for as long as political parties have existed (“RINO,” after all, is not a Republican pejorative that is unique to the Trump era), the extent to which dissidents have been expelled from their respective parties has unquestionably increased in recent years, particularly among Republicans.
The consequences of requiring such uniformity in political parties were foreseeably negative.
And while some of this increase in independents is undoubtedly due to the toxicity of both the Republican and Democratic brands, it appears likely that a large portion of it is due to the fact that people simply don’t feel at home in political parties that demand unconditional loyalty from their supporters.
- Since late 2021, more Democratic voters have defected from the party than Republican supporters have defected from theirs in Nevada, and the Democratic Party appears to be having difficulty attracting votes in the more moderate middle.
- Nonetheless, the Nevada Republican Party remains in third place behind Democrats and non-major party voters, and current polling indicates that incumbent Democrats are winning (although by a small margin) in critical contests.
- A Trump-loyalty litmus test for Republican candidates might very well prevent Nevada from becoming a somewhat redder shade of purple come November.
- A few prominent national and local Republicans, such as Mitch McConnell and Mark Amodei, appear to recognize this reality—both of whom have advised that the Republican Party “move on” from the heated issue of the 2020 race.
- Of course, we are not in the midst of regular political times.
- For enraged partisans, ideological adherence is considerably more fulfilling than winning elections, isn’t it?
- With more than a decade of experience in public affairs commentary as a writer, political humorist, and radio talk show presenter, he was formerly the communications director for the Nevada Policy Research Institute.
To keep up with him, visit SchausCreative.com or follow him on Twitter at @schausmichael.
How Republicans Can Build a Big-Tent Party
Nowadays, it appears that there are a significant number of people who do not want anything to do with either major political party. Most of them, it appears, are also uninterested in engaging with the various political parties. Republican candidates are increasingly being asked to state their unwavering loyalty to Donald Trump’s wing of the party as a condition of moving on in primary elections, much like clicking the “I am not a robot” box when filling out an internet form. Some significant acts of surrender by Republicans anxious for support among their base have arisen from such a litmus test in the past.
The Nevada Independent said that “71 percent of Republicans in Nevada feel Biden is an illegitimate President, and that is a significant proportion” of the 71 percent.
That aim may be achieved more quickly by delivering some red meat to a segment of the Republican Party that is not only large in number but also astonishingly hostile toward candidates who fail to exhibit “enough” affection for the former president?
Conservatives who have been very fair in their criticism of Trump have been pilloried, and they have frequently been relegated from conservative champions to boogeymen of “the swamp.” Even the former vice president has drawn the ire of Trump supporters for his failure to reverse the election, despite the fact that doing so would have been considerably outside the scope of his constitutional authority.
- The left, however, is grappling with its own share of intolerant extremists who demand ideological uniformity inside their party’s ranks, while the Republican Party has received the bulk of the media attention.
- When compared to the days of “big tent” politicking, where each party deliberately recruited as many electable candidates as possible.
- the current dominating tendency in politics is a complete reverse.
- As a result, in the 1990s, Bill Clinton went to the center, while in the run-up to his reelection, George W.
- Overall, political tribes appear to be defined less by the spectrum of ideas that are considered, and more by the range of ideas that are self-righteously excluded from discussion.
- Republicans who dared to participate in the committee investigating the incident on January 6th were censured by their own party only last week, while the criticism hurled at Democrats Joe Manchin and Kyrsten Sinema for obstructing progressive agendas has been persistent for years now.
- With the increase in unaffiliated voters, particularly in more swingy states like as Nevada, we are already witnessing the effects of this trend.
- Even if the Trump Republican infighting may garner more headlines and media attention, Democrats would be naive to pretend that they aren’t struggling with identical difficulties.
- For Democrats in the Silver State, these are troubling tendencies to watch, especially as their extremely unpopular President runs the danger of igniting a potential “red wave” next year in the state.
- Those problems deserve significant consideration for a party that is so certain about its candidates’ commitment to a very divided and unpopular former president.
Because successful politics necessitates coalition building rather than mandatory conformity—especially in a state where independent and unaffiliated voters outnumber major party registrations and people’s views on progressive and conservative issues are decidedly mixed—coalition building is especially important in this state.
If we were living in normal political times, an eroding share of registered voters—not to mention the very real possibility of looming electoral losses—would prompt political leaders to examine the soul of their party and work to broaden its appeal rather than further narrow the definition of what it means to be a “good” Democrat or Republican.
In this context, it is expected that attempts to exorcise “non-believers” would go on unabated in both main political parties.
After all, ideological compliance is considerably more satisfying to offended partisans than actually winning elections, don’t you think.
With more than a decade of experience in public affairs commentary as a columnist, political humorist, and radio talk show presenter, he is the former communications director for the Nevada Policy Research Institute. SchausCreative.com and @schausmichael are two places to find him online.
