Internet-fired elections and the politics of business as usual

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I don’t really know enough about UK politics to tell if this is a good idea, but it won’t ever work in the US (except maybe, maybe at the local level).

You’ll notice that the Tea Party nutjobs that actually got elected are now annoying the hell out of the Republican mainstream precisely because they refuse to compromise. While it gladdens my shriveled black heart to see any kind of infighting (almost inevitable on the left) among conservatives, I wouldn’t say it’s particularly useful if one is hoping to effect meaningful change.

Maybe a thing of the past in the UK, but most states have gerrymandered one party or the other into a permanent majority. Most of the US Congress is “safe seats.”

This in turn creates more polarization: if only Republican votes really matter in my district, then the primary is the real election - and only the most extreme believers show up for primaries. That’s as much of the reason for the Tea Party as the Koch brothers are.

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