Are political parties destroying politics?

My friend Tom Friedman passed on a story to me the other day that came to him from an advertising guy who had been at a seminar for ad people.

Someone had asked the question, "Why didn't Burger King ever really go after McDonald's?"

In other words, why didn't they get dirty, go negative, and try to take down the industry leader?

The answer came back: "First rule of advertising: Never destroy the category. It's not worth destroying the hamburger industry just to take down your most successful competitor."

The more I thought about that - and the sorry state of American politics these days - the more it made me wonder.

In their effort to destroy each other, are the Republican and Democratic Parties on the verge of destroying the category - politics? The whole political system?

We're not there yet, but as I watch our campaigns begin earlier and earlier, and as our government becomes more and more gridlocked, unable to do anything, we may be close.

Remember when campaigns were the interval between governing?

Now governing has become the brief interval between campaigns - and not just campaigns that are vicious, but as meaningless as they are mean.

It is no longer a question of what has the government done for us lately - the answer is nothing. But the looming and larger question now is just how much damage has all this done to the system itself, and can it be repaired before the whole thing blows apart?

[nonpolitico]

Perhaps we could concentrate of the candidate with enough ability to get USA out of the $$$$Trillion Debt hanging like an albatross around everyones neck??
S&P Hvae just downgraded the EU, what if they turn their attention to USA next??
We already know that WH incumbent not brilliant with figures, along with the pork belly merchants on the Hill, but they could just nod in the direction of balanced books now and again...Couldn`t they??

[Herne42]

I agree with Ben Franklin.

[tsigili]

Political parties ARE politics. If the parties didn't exist, the politics themselves wouldn't exist.

The problem is, that Democrats want to become dictators in America. The Republicans want to become millionaires in America.

Neither wants to govern the country for the good of the people.

The people just want hand outs, like the spoiled brats the are. They don't want to have to work anymore, or earn their way in the world.

The country's ethics, principles, and moral code, have all gone by the wayside, as humans become welfare proponents.

America is on the decline, and the decline will continue, until the country goes under, which isn't all that far into the future. Obama is hastening that end, by spending us into bankruptcy.

[Herne42]

you can have a "democratic" government system without parties... just fine.

Everyone wants to be rich

well... I agree with that

yes and no...all societies have their share of bums...but as for myself... i often take pride in the work i do.

hmm... partly...I blame organized religion myself.

yes, America is on a very rapid decline....but ALL government is to blame...it's impossible to blame One man.

[noloyalisti]

Our current economic problems are the end result of over 30 years of Reaganomics. Furthermore the deregulation of the banking industry by the Republicon Congress in 1999 caused the loss of $20 trillion dollars. With such massive losses of wealth it is taking Obama a long time to turn it around.

And of course the Republicons have all vowed to hurt America even more so Obama will be blamed. Fortunately the vast majority of Americans understand the Republicon are an evil, greedy bunch that work only for the Top 1%.

[gep1955]

The only party I see trying to destroy anything is the democrats in their willingness to dig up old dirt from the personal lives of conservatives and offer it to the media thats all too willing to plaster in the headlines, ex..Palin, Cain, Bachmann & now Gingrich. Think for a moment & ask when was the last time a republican stood in front of the media with dirt on a democrat or the press sent an army to the homwtown of a democrat looking for trash? Thats right, they don't.

[noloyalisti]

But the Republicons are standing in the way of job creation, they keep parroting the same tired Top 1% corporate mantra of taxing the poor and middle class to give to the rich. Obviously this is a disaster and has been since the Bush Crime Family 8 year Reign of Terror.

[werntrouble]

Political parties are destroying the ability to govern by consensus, thus are destroying the fundamental tenet of a democracy: the will of the majority. In my view, Political Parties have hijacked the country and all boils down to how much it costs to run for office and how that is financed. Political parties fund candidates by pursuing agendas that generate the most funds for the party... That's not a government of the people and by the people, so is fundamentally unconstitutional, yet is rampant today.

[MegaProcrastination]

Check the definitions. Our government isn't a democracy, but a republic.

[noloyalisti]

The rise of the Banksters and the RepubliDems Top 1% Party can be traced directly back to Reagan. And while he really started it the Top 1% scam of the "free-market" (free for the Top 1% because the 99% finance it), all the subsequent presidents and congresses bought right into it while they all joined the ranks of the Top 1%.

Well now we are on to this and will definitely do something to radically change this tragic and failed system in America.

[tsigili]

Here's a thought.......stop having separate elections. Have all qualifying candidates of BOTH parties, be placed on a single ballot, and then let the voters vote for their choice, irregardless of political party, for each office.

Maybe then the party political machine will have less influence.

[noloyalisti]

We already have a single party the RepubliDems Top 1% Party. The only thing that will save America is to get a second party going. I think the time is ripe now.

[qyeteye]

The answer really is simple. It is the voters who are responsible.

Watch what is done, not what is said - and if determined actions are not in the interests of the common good (98%), then vote accordingly.

And don't fall for propagand about Taking Back Our Country only to give it back to those representing Wall Street. Come on people, use your minds and not have them be used.

[wxwizard1]

I disagree. The voters are being barraged by unceasing political messages from numerous media sources. Both parties do it to rally their numbers. But what's happening now is the rhetoric is so intense our country is on the verge of having a GOP vs DEM civil war.

[tsigili]

Precisely. The means has become the end.