After the 1964 elections the Democrats had 68 members in the Senate and 295 seats in the House, both super majorities. They also had the White House, which they had held for all but eight years since 1933. Unfortunately, the Democratic Party was about to crack up over Jim Crow and the Vietnam war. Many southern Democrats would switch to the party of Lincoln (something that was previously unthinkable). The upside was that the Democrats would no longer be associated with segregation. The down side was soon to come: Richard Nixon, Ronald Reagan, and the Bush Crime Family.
Our country doesn’t currently face any domestic problems as challenging as Jim Crow, and current Democratic Party divisions are comparatively minor. But we are in a kind of mirror universe. The Republicans’ high water mark never reached as high the Democrats’ but they have held majorities in both houses of Congress for almost all of the last thirteen years and the White House for 18 of the last 26 years. And it looks like it’s all about to come crashing down.
Due to geryymandering, it seems unlikely that the Dems can win another thirty seats in the House, but we will probably pick up a few. In the Senate, we could win anywhere from three to fifteen seats, depending on the breaks. And the White House is there for the taking. What if it all comes together and the Dems have complete power with a filibuster proof Senate?
One thing is for certain. If the Dems win a filibuster proof Senate they will do so by winning seats in places like Idaho, Nebraska, Oklahoma, Mississippi, and North Carolina. Those Senators will not be segregationists, but they will be much more conservative than the party as a whole. They’ll still be susceptible to a backlash if the country suddenly lurches to the left with no Republican brake anywhere in sight.
I think the most interesting thing will be to see how the Republicans respond. How will they put the pieces back together?
It’s interesting to see what is going on in Kansas. The Republicans have been suffering an unusual number of defections and they’ve responded with a new unity pledge.
I, _______________, promise never to abandon my present Republican Party affiliation for the purpose of political gain. The Republican Party, both nationally and domestically, was founded on sound and principled ideals, that include but are not limited to, personal liberty, individual freedom, responsive and citizen-based Government, life-affirming values, economic growth, strong and cutting edge military, low taxes and a mutual respect for fellow Republicans. Because of that, I will, at no point in my political or personal future, find cause to transfer my Party loyalty to any other affiliated organization.
I will not, at any future moment, become a registered Democrat for the purpose of seeking any political office. Additionally, I will not change my Party affiliation to that of any peripheral political party, such as the Reform Party, the Green Party or the Libertarian Party. Such a move would be not only opportunistic, it would be an unjustified trampling of everything that I previously claimed to stand for.
I care far too deeply about the previously espoused Republican ideals as well as the thousands of hard-working Republican citizens all over the State of Kansas to ever consider changing my political Party affiliation. I look forward to a life of citizen-serving, Republican political involvement. I thank the Kansas Republican Party, including all of the registered Kansas Republicans, for their years of service, good will and friendship.
I solemnly pledge to always be a Republican, no matter what promises are made by external forces seeking only to undermine the Republican values I stand for. I can have reasonable disagreement with members of the Republican Party; however, at no point will ‘Party switching’ or quitting of the Party be tolerable.
Signed,
X __________________________________
It’s better than an abstinence pledge, but somehow I don’t think that is going to be the answer.
