Surprised Party

Arguably, the Republicans' defeat in 2008 was as much a function of conservative discontent with the party's trajectory under the Bush administration as it was of the liberals' enthusiasm for the Obama campaign. Many such conservatives have come to the conclusion that their interests are simply not represented within the confines of the two party system, leading to calls for a "strong third party." (Wandering in the political wilderness, others are not as willing to give up on the GOP, and jokingly call for the organization of a strong second party, and the restoration of the two party system.) Ironically, however, some liberal Democrats, who have just returned from the political wilderness, have apparently learned nothing from the experience of their conservative counterparts, and are surprised to find that the party apparatus continues to frustrate their political aims. Chris Bowers complains that he has "helped raise over two million dollars for Congressional Democrats . . . who, upon their arrival in Congress, do whatever they can to openly distance themselves from both me and the causes I believe in. Why do I keep giving money to people who will respond by publicly slapping me in the face?" It is a good question, one which more people should ask themselves. Why would anyone raise money for a political party which does not represent his or her interests?