In terms of ideology, it’s fascinating how sorted out the two political parties have become. The days of conservative-leaning Democrats having a strong and moderating voice in their party, just as liberal-leaning Republicans used to have in theirs, are long gone. This has effectively pushed the Democratic Party to the left and the Republican Party to the right. It hasn’t just happened in Congress; it’s happened among the rank-and-file party members as well.
Many partisans have come to assume that everyone sees things exactly the way they do, leaving little tolerance for diversity of views. As a result, party bases can become out of sync with independents—the large chunk of voters in the middle that often decides who wins hotly contested general elections. So primary-election politics is often very different from general-election politics, particularly in competitive states and districts. Those in safe seats can afford to see the world far differently than those who have to worry about swing voters.
That dynamic is particularly clear on health care, one of the most politically litigated issues of our time. CONT.
Charlie Cook