The U.S. Now Has Three Major Political Parties Instead of Two


Tonight, a few minutes from where I am sitting in downtown Des Moines, IA., are 1,000 members of the press from all over the world. They are covering the Republican Presidential Caucuses. I've been to a couple of them for the Democratic Party and I suppose the rules are similar. People register when they arrive. They are invited to sit with others who are supporting the same candidate. There are some announcements about rules. This is followed by a few routine and dull speeches about the candidates. Finally, there is voting by the raising of hands and votes are counted by a committee at the front of the room. Candidates will fly out of Iowa in their jets late tonight and appear at events tomorrow in New Hampshire.

Something else is going on, however, that is hardly mentioned. In a poll that was published today, half the voters who will caucus for Haley will vote for Biden if Trump is the Republican nominee. Trump has all but promised he will sink another candidate if that candidate beats him. The various factions of Republicans have become members of separate and competing political parties.

Since Trump arrived on the political scene the flow and control of money has laid the groundwork for new parties. Before, the National Republican Party was the principal fund- raising entity. It then doled out money to candidates including the one nominated for President. Trump, however, cut off much of this flow of money and kept it in his own political account. He gave it out to candidates he favored. Now, the bitterness between the Trump and anti-Trump factions makes the time ripe for complete separations.

Readers are free to speculate, as I am doing, about how the split would work. My own thinking is one branch would be made up of fiscal conservatives and social liberals. Lower taxes, fewer regulations and abortion/gay rights share one thing. They are good for business. It seems so logical this group would take one big chunk of the current GOP. The rest, of course, would go off with Trump or the politician who inherits Trump's current followers. These would be anti abortion/gay/trans etc and deeply Christian voters.    

This would seem to leave Democrats with their own lane to victories. But, Democrats might need to do business with one of these fractions to get what they want and that faction might get what it wants from Democrats. 

Off to some wonderful political theater we go.

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