Political landscape

The survey that I mentioned in my previous post had some problems. I believe it is fixed now. It is still available at the same location and should work fine now. The survey is an Excel spreadsheet, which consists of 12 questions about current public policy issues. On a scale from 1 to 5, respondents are to indicate the level to which they agree with each question, with 5 signifying strong agreement. The scores are tallied and plotted on a modified Nolan square in order to determine how the respondent's answers relate to others. A Nolan square is often used by Libertarians to promote their cause. The square measures opinion of government on two scales: economic authority and moral authority. Scores are classified into one of 25 different political categories, with labels that I have devised. I have also measured the voting records and public statements of the most notable public opinion leaders and have included them on a separate sheet for comparison. For each complete survey, I have recommended a list of public figures who are similarly classified. There is also a pictorial representation of the various political categories showing the names of some notable personalities as landmarks.
I will now describe a few of the categories. First , there are the Communists who believe that the government should exercise supreme authority over all matters from morality to the economy. Conversely, Anarchists are the strongest advocates of freedom, to the point of rejecting the notion of government entirely. These categories occupy two of the extreme corners of the chart. The remaining two corners belong to the Liberals and Conservatives. Conservatives, as you probably know, align with Communists with respect to restricting individual liberties. They agree with Anarchists in their disdain for government's role in managing economic matters. Liberals, on the other hand, take the opposite, yet equally extreme view.
There are 21 other categories which assert moderation and nuance, at least to some degree. From Communist to Conservative, the other adherents of government having strong moral authority are: Nazis, Moralists, and Neo-conservatives. Still in favor of strong moral authority, but less vehemently, from socialist to capitalist are: Marxists, Dixiecrats, Red Cat Republicans, Republicans, and Constitutionalists. Staking out the neutral ground on moral authority, in turn are: Socialists, Moderate Democrats, Centrists, Moderate Republicans, and Capitalists. Those slightly more in favor of civil liberties are: Greens, Democrats, Blue Dog Democrats, Log Cabin Republicans, and Libertarians. Finally, from Liberal to Anarchist, are the fiercest defenders of civil liberties: Social Democrats, Tolerationists, and Individualists.
Most categories are fairly well represented by our elected officials. There are a few categories, however, which lack representation in government. These categories are in close proximity to, and include, the Anarchists and Communists. These categories are considered "on the fringes". There are very good reasons to explain why there is such little representation. Due to the so-called Cold War, the "red threat", and America's well documented history of resistance to tyranny, there aren't likely to be a large number of American Communists and few would ever get elected. Anarchists, who do not believe in the necessity of government, aren't likely to participate in that which they despise. The other related categories considered outside the mainstream are: Log Cabin Republicans, Individualists, Libertarians, Marxists, Nazis, and Dixiecrats.
Dixiecrats were once a very proud group of conservative southern Democrats. This group has almost disappeared, leaving Sen. Robert Byrd as its standard bearer, and even his position has evolved somewhat from where it once was. Former Dixiecrats, over the past few decades, have now become Republicans and Neo-conservatives. This group is a largely homogeneous voting bloc which should not be ignored by either party. When they change loyalties, they change en masse.
How did the Democratic Party lose this important electorate? I blame televangelists. Please don't misunderstand me. I consider myself to de a devout Christian, and I'm not referring to the clergy in general. Most preachers are good God-fearing people who choose well to stay out of the politics of man. My focus is on the "ministers-for-hire". I'm talking about the ministers, like Rev. Jerry Falwell, who quote scripture on our television sets one minute and demand money the next. I'm talking about the preachers, like fellow Virginian Rev. Pat Robertson, who will, in the midst of a prayer to the Almighty, call for the murder of a head of state. I'm talking about pastors like Dr. D. James Kennedy, who spend 90% of their televised sermons spewing right-wing rhetoric rather than ministering to the needs of the congregation.
These men have stumbled across a secret that Republicans have used to their political advantage. The secret is that there is an inherent vulnerability in one's spirituality. Although there are those, including myself, who are blessed to have had very real experiences with God, ultimately, all religion is predicated upon blind faith. Much of what our clergy says is accepted as divine truth. Herein lies the potential for great mischief and abuse. I would like to believe that our houses of worship would not be exploited in such a way, but sadly they have been.
The church has been used by Republicans to obtain and secure power, but their power is fleeting. People are beginning to realize how they have been duped. Moreover, the right-wing power grab has led inevitably to corruption. The instances of religious exploitation are only surpassed by the growing numbers of abuses of power by Republicans. It exists at the state level with Connecticut Governor John Rowland. It extends to pork barrel pilfering by U.S. Rep. Don Young for the Great Alaskan bridge to nowhere. There is Rep. Duke Cunningham and his criminal career of bribery. There is Jack Abramoff and Michael Scanlon whose scams and cons became an institution within the Republican Party. Let us not forget Vice President Dick Cheney and his chief of staff Scooter Libby, whose adventures in corruption and clever deceit will inspire generations of Republicans. The balance of power will revert to the Democrats. Americans will not tolerate such abuses once they are fully revealed.
My next post will begin a discussion of my opinions on the wide variety of issues that are facing Americans today. The most basic, controversial, and polarizing of them is Abortion, so I will tackle that one first. I hope you will find it insightful, sensible, and above all, fair.