[Platapus]

To many people the Democrats and Republicans are cleanly split between liberal and conservatives. In a lot of opinions, the terms are almost interchangeable. But that is not how it was in the past. The problem is trying to characterize a political party in just a few sound bytes.

Up until the 1940's both the Democrats and the Republicans had their conservative and liberal members. They worked to keep each party balanced. It was possible for an election to be between a conservative Democrat and a liberal Republican. As the years went, so did the balance of the party alternate.

In the 1940's there was a serious split in the Democratic party. The conservative Democrats felt that FDR was too liberal and there was much harrumphing. So much harrumphing that FDR decided to push for a conservative running made in Truman in an attempt to keep the conservative Democrats in the party and voting for the Democratic candidates. By the late 1940's, however damage was already done and the more conservative Democrats started moving toward Republican and to a much small extent liberal Republicans were moving to the Democrats.

However, the Republican party still maintained a balance of liberal and conservatives with the number of conservatives growing (to some extent by conservative democrats). In the 1970's and 1980's there was a split in the Republican party. Senior members of the GOP decided to push for a more conservative membership and they slowly succeeded. Many liberal Republicans left for the now liberal Democratic party.

Strategically, I feel this was a mistake. I think the parties would be much more effective and be more representative if the parties maintained their liberal and conservative membership.

The problem with focusing on one or the other is that they tend to move to the extremes. Who are the conservative Democrats who can help pull the party to the middle? Who are the liberal Republicans who can help pull the party to the middle?

They don't exist, or more accurately don't exist in numbers and political power to affect any balancing changes.

Unfortunately, this results in a split not only between Democrats and Republicans but respectively between conservatives and liberals. This does not bode well for cooperation

The double whammy of linking the parties with the ideology emphasize the "Us against Them" attitude which in my opinion will ultimately destroy this country alike a cancer.

I have often thought that the first party to move to the center could dominate the elections. It is important to recognize that

- Liberals love this country and only want the best for the country
- Conservatives love this country and only want the best for the country
- Democrats love this country and only want the best for the country
- Republicans love this country and only want the best for the country

The only differences are in each of their priorities and their methodologies. Believing in one does not make the other wrong... just different.

As an Independent I love this country and only want the best for the country. But I fear that the ideological divide that we have in this country will only get worse.