POLITICS: Republicans and Democrats tilting strangely...

It has been much documented the move towards "blue-dog" Democrats -- this new breed of socially conservative Democrats (think Gov. Kaine of Virginia, and much of the South's Democratic Party, or Ohio's for that matter)...

Less focus has been on the "red-cat" (?) Republicans (I almost wrote "red-pussy," but that doesn't roll off the tongue as well)...

I've said it before, I'll say it again... if the Republicans "opened up" and played the individual rights and states rights cards when it comes to gay issues, they would sweep the gay vote from the Democrats in a New York minute.

This is a quote from the above linked blog:

If only the Republicans would get their shit together on gay rights, they would
take the vote right from underneath the Democrats. Not joking. And I base it off
a quote by Chrissy Nakonski, a transsexual seeking the Republican nom to her
state legislative district: "I've voted Republican all my life...Republicans
swear by not raising taxes, and raising taxes would hurt families in poverty,
like mine." The gay community spends money and, by and large, is becoming
increasingly suburban and middle class. Ideologically, I think the gay community
is far more Republican and the only reason it's not universally so is that they
don't support us. If they just became a little more libertarian, the years and
years of "assuming they're with us" the Dems have been playing would be over.

It's true. I think the country is becoming less Dem-Rep and I think a Progressive-Conservative divide is growing . . . although that's assuming that politics are dichotomous, and not a full 3-dimensional spectrum of beliefs and ideologies.

I predict in the next 40 years we will be talking about two completely different parties that may only share the names that we are currently using.

It's worth it to note that a "New England (or West Coast) Republican" is the same thing as a "Midwest Democrat," whereas a "Southern Republican" is usually considered "bat-shit crazy" anywhere else.... as would most "West Coast Democrats."