re: #1 aagcobb

This is no way to run a government, but since GOP Congressmen only worry about being primaried from the right and not about appearing totally insane, we are stuck waiting for the GOP’s aging reactionary base to die off before we can once again have a legislative branch that functions.

The gerrymander of congressional/state legislative districts in GOP-controlled states is slowly killing the party. While it originally appeared as a safe way to ensure that GOP politicians never had to fear losing office, the constant fear of being primaried, is resulting in a party that is on its way to being made up exclusively of right wing radicals. The GOP is becoming a party that can win in its self-drawn Congressional districts, but not a growing number of Senate races or the Presidency. This is why we are seeing the various anti-democratic ideas like ending the 17th Amendment (solves the problem of how to gerrymander Senate seats), and apportioning Electoral College votes by Congressional district. Waiting for the old GOP base to die off might be too late for the nation, since they would rather destroy American democracy than lose power.

And I hate to say it, but I fear that the current strain of American right wing radicalism will not die off with the Boomers. Increasing inequality and a stagnant economic recovery will increase the polarization in politics. I’m increasingly failing to see any way that the legislative branch can function (by 20th century standards) in a post-Citizen’s United era under our Constitutionally designed legislature.