To those of us who pay attention to politics, it's becoming abundantly clear that the American Democratic Party stands at a crossroads. They have been largely taken over by the far left; the AOC wing now seems to overshadow the Fetterman wing of the party, and some recent elections are showing how well that's working for them. Not least among those is last November's presidential election, in which President Trump and Vice President Vance defenestrated the Democrat candidates, Kamala "Queen of Word Salads" Harris and Tim "Great Walz of China."
Nationally, the Democratic Party's polling approval numbers are on a par with pond scum. What's more, the recent New York mayoral primary seems to be showing that the party is more than willing to double down on stupid. That may work in deep blue New York City, but it's not a good plan for playing the political game on a national scale. If they keep this up, the Democrats will devolve into a niche party for coastal elites, far-left academics, and the dependency class.
That would seem to be a gift to Republicans, but nature abhors a vacuum, and with the Democrats exiting stage left (hah), might a new centrist or center-left party arise to fill that gap?
Two years ago, I wrote about the New Whig Party, which was at the time selling itself as a centrist party:
Previously: Politics, Political Parties, and Modern Whigs
At that time, I wrote (Note, links from the original story are no longer valid and have been removed):
While the modern Whigs are not really a political party, as they neither present nor campaign for political candidates, they do put forth a slate of interesting, if somewhat unclear, policy positions.
Here is how the Modern Whig Institute describes itself:
The Modern Whig Institute is a 501(c)(3) civic research and education foundation dedicated to promoting the fundamental American principles of representative government, ordered liberty, capitalism, due process and the rule of law.
A think tank, in plain English. And their history:
Throughout our history, American Whigs have unflinchingly stood for representative government, robust civic associations, individual rights, ordered liberty, social and economic progress, modernization, public education, a vibrant legislative branch, and ongoing cooperation between the public and private sectors.
There is now a Modern Whig Institute, a think tank, in essence. The policy page, though, makes them look not really center-left, but more moderate right with some libertarian ideas tossed in. Could that appeal? Well, they aren't (yet) a political party as such. They have put forth no candidates. They have offered the electorate nothing but talk. The nation needs more than talk.
Still, there may be an opportunity here, given the Democrats' increasingly loony candidates.
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Where in the spectrum would a new party, to be successful, fit?
I'm inclined to point out that there's a big gap at the moment in the center-left. The mainstream of the Democratic Party in 1980 was nothing like it is today; there was far less obvious nuttiness (although there was some). But a party like that, trying to encroach on the Democrats' historic turf, would have little more effect than to split left-of-center voters and ensure the Republican Party comfortable majorities for some time to come.
I know, it's hard to see a downside in that. But that kind of situation won't last.
Take a look at the demise of the original Whig Party. Their last president, Millard Fillmore, left office in 1853. The White House was held by Democrats Franklin Pierce and James Buchanan until 1860, when Abraham Lincoln became the first Republican to win the presidency. During that time, eight years, more or less, the Whigs disintegrated, and the Republicans arose, in large part, as the party of abolition. It happened quickly, in other words.
The Democrats are disintegrating now, but there doesn't seem to be any new party coming up to replace them, quickly or slowly.
Are there any candidates? Who would it be?
The Libertarian Party? While I have strong small-l libertarian leanings myself on a range of issues, the Libertarian Party seems to be good at only one thing, and that is falling on their swords in the name of principle; also, a party that favors the Second Amendment won't appeal to the left.
The Green Party? Boy, howdy, if you think the Democrats are going nuts, trust me, the Greens are already there and have been for some time.
No Labels? No candidates. No coherent policy positions. No nothing. No kidding.
The Constitution Party? They are as far-right as the Greens are far-left; that's not a recipe for winning a national majority, not to mention the presidency.
There are other parties, but these are the only ones that are on the ballots in more than two or three states.
Speaking of the presidency, well, that's the big prize, isn't it? Any new party would have to be placed on the ballot in most, if not all, 50 states and the District of Columbia in one election cycle to have a shot at winning; it's a near-impossibility to win the electoral vote count without that.
So, yes - the Democrats are disintegrating. Part of their disintegration is the fact that they just have no candidates who can appeal on the national stage. But therein lies the larger problem: There are, as yet, no viable parties that can appeal on the national stage to replace them.
For the time being, things look like they will go on as they are.
