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Fringe in charge?

There is another tidbit on CNN, about the 'lunatic fringe', saying such people are in charge of the various parties' agendas.

This is plainly false. First, if we grant the tea parties the moniker of lunatic fringe, they are not in charge of the republican agenda. Far from it- the republican committee is quite clearly NOT supporting tea party affiliated candidates. This is a problem for Sarah Palin, having spoken for the tea-partiers and possibly harboring presidential aspirations.

On the other hand, there is a terrific analysis by Jay Cost at his horserace blog about the relative positioning of congressional leadership and rank and file. The liberality of congressional rank and file has not changed materially in the last 30 years, the democrats being rather more liberal than the republicans. Democratic leadership, however, is substantially more liberal than either their rank and file or the general public.

It is disingenuous of CNN to suggest the political parties plural are hostage to their fringe (I don't like the name calling of 'lunatic')- it is the democrats who are being led by the tail by their 'leaders'.

Ted

Comments

  1. Bill IannazzoFebruary 15, 2010 at 11:08 AM

    And it's those leaders who will be tossed out on their collective posteriors next election...

    ReplyDelete

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