Thank You, Two-Party System

It seems the GOP base has taken a troubling turn towards xenophobia and racism. Fueled by hate-filled right-wing talk radio, and now able to identify itself with a high-profile leader in the form of the charismatic Sarah Palin, this disturbing strain of American politics seems to have taken hold of the Republican Party.

David Brooks has finally come to the realization that his party is dominated by people who don’t care for ideas. What he doesn’t say in the column is that what these folks DO care for is fear-fueled bashing of the “other.” Wall St. bankers are the latest bogeymen, joining immigrants, Arabs, African-Americans, lawyers, homosexuals, and Obama (who represents almost all these groups) on the list of those worthy of fear and hate. This commercial for Mitch McConnell suggests that Italian-Americans and Jews are also on the list of “others.” If McCain loses the election, the GOP will likely move further in this troubling direction.

While disturbing to watch, this shift in the Republican Party need not cause anyone to loose any sleep…yet. We have our two-party system to insulate us from an uptick in the popularity of these fringe ideas. Only a few months ago, I was of the mind that more diversity in the political arena would be a good thing for America. But after seeing what’s happening at McCain/Palin rallies, I've come to think that, if not for our two-party system, we would quickly find an ultra-nationalists politician on the scene (like Zhirinovky in Russia, or Le Pen in France). Thankfully, McCain does not fit that bill. His heart isn’t in the hate game; he’s just trying to win votes.

For this election cycle, fear-mongering won't be a winning campaign strategy. McCain will lose, and the Republican Party will shrink, as everyone on the ever-growing “others” list flees to the Democrats. This will be a good thing for America. But the long-term worry is that this shrunken Republican Party, fueled by hate, could one day begin to grow… particularly if the coming recession turns out to be much worse than expected.