tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6380332481433385691.post4415288168148514141..comments2024-01-04T09:33:57.399-05:00Comments on MiltonConservative: The Dangerous Good Old Boys of the GOP (Sounds Like Canada’s progressives!)BillMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16338116017515403295noreply@blogger.comBlogger1125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6380332481433385691.post-58377838486870642952009-05-28T12:16:47.849-04:002009-05-28T12:16:47.849-04:00I'm surprised no one has commented on this in the ...I'm surprised no one has commented on this in the month since you published it.<br />I agree with your analysis, and although you specifically referred to the Republicans, I think the same applies to all American politics, and to a lesser extent, Canadian too.<br />Any grassroots enthusiasm and action is insulated from the actual leadership by the electoral college, so there is little incentive for the good ol boys to engage the people. Their constituency is the league of elected officials in the EC whose interests are easy to identify whose votes are easier to sway.<br />In Canada, the situation is a little better because we the grassroots people have direct access to the nominations and elections of our representatives at provincial and federal levels.<br /><br />One problem common to both US and Canada politics, is the lack of input to the formulation of party platform. I like the recent push from some candidates of building from the ground up, rather than proclaiming from the top down. Having local policy meetings all over the country, and then consolidating the logical and thoughtful ideas into a party platform is an excellent way to involve the public and to build support from the very beginning. Unfortunately, that seems to be a conservative idea that liberal parties will probably never embrace. It is more difficult to manipulate the thoughtful deliberation of the public, than it is to twist poll questions in daily or weekly polls that claim to measure the pulse of the nation.Scott Merrithewhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08915677826835156955noreply@blogger.com