Had a phone visit with a fellow DUer and it occurred to me that

[flamin lib]

The Lincoln Project will become Yhe Lincoln Party.

It makes sense. They are all past Republican political operatives, they have a core belief in a two party system and the current Republican party has left them nowhere to go politically, professionally or patriotically.

So why do I think a Lincoln Party is the end goal? I see evidence. The LP is partnering with the NAACP in community outreach. Remember that Autopsy that Rince Prebus did? The one that said the R party desperately needed to expand the base to minorities?

Then there's the latest LP ad, they say it isn't about liberal or conservative (as in Democratic or Republican) and at 1:25 the ad says 'Join Us'.

Then there was the Freudian slip Rick Wilson made on MSNBC referring to the Project as the Party (sorry no link).

It makes sense. I embrace it. I believe we need a two party system. A system that has two parties loyal to the Constitution and the proposition that we are working toward a More Perfect Union, not a permanent majority for either party, not an autocracy, not a cult of personality but a system of two distinct parties with public goals committed to writing and aimed at improving the human condition in this (once) great country. Two parties with honest policy differences that can be discussed, defended and when it benefits the nation compromise for the better of all, not the defeat of the other.

It will take a decade. First they have to utterly destroy the existing Republican Party including every sycophant that enabled first Newt Gingrich, then Dick Cheney, Donald Trump and Mitch McConnel to seek nothing more than raw power for the sake of personal gain. Leave the dregs that remain for the Trump party right next to the Nazi party and the Libertarian party. At the same time they have to recruit the honest Republicans left that actually have souls (there are a few), independents and yes a few Democrats to create a party with a philosophy that upholds the Constitution, the Rule of Law and human dignity through human rights.

I honestly believe in my heart of hearts that this is a true thing and I hope to All That Is they can pull it off.

One more piece of evidence, a real outreach to those who the current Republican is at war with:

https://blackeconomicalliance.org/press-release/the-lincoln-project-partners-with-naacp-national-urban-league-black-economic-alliance-and-blackpac-for-the-black-voters-coalition-town-hall/

[snowybirdie]

1. Think so too

But I'm not praising these folks. They will be formidable political opponents and will try to dilute the Democratic message. They will be THE opposition in a few years.

[flamin lib]

3. As long as they are an honest, loyal opposition I welcome them.

There have been years when the Democratic Party was nothing to be proud of, the age of the Dixiecrats. There have been Republican administrations that did good and big things albeit tinged with the biases and shortcomings of the time.

It will allow us Dems to move to the left as they (hopefully) occupy the center. They can offer the buffer between middle America and true liberalism that will let that liberalism become mainstream through evolution.

It is my hope.

[applegrove]

2. They would more likely be a third party. That would mean they expect to get centrist

democrats to join them. The center party most often wins in multiparty countries. Proud boys are not going to disappear. Remember there are 43% who are hard Trump. US is not my country but i think Democrats should discuss the issue of a Lincoln Party.

[flamin lib]

7. I may be wrong and the next year will prove that one way or the other but

I believe that the 43% is actually closer to 15-20% and as the election fades into the past that will become apparent. The fever pitch that is Trump can't be maintained. Plus, if he is actually prosecuted and convicted (with family) only the real dead enders will remain next to the flat earthers.

For the next decade the Lincoln Party will be a third party pulling more from the 'conservative' leaning voters than from Democrats at large. Eventually, if all goes well for them (and for the country) they will pull from real republicans and third parties to become a force. I believe they have a long view. That gives the Democratic Party room to prove itself and it's philosophy to a larger audience. As the current Republican party dominance shrinks the power of the old talking points (socialism, tax n spend, steal your rights) will hopefully diminish.

All this pre-supposes that I am right about the LP, that they can succeed in destroying the current R party and that we Dems won't squander the opportunity to fill any small vacuum that Trump leaves.

We got work to do.

[stillcool]

4. seems to me the most important thing

that needs to be done is to get money out of politics, and restore a whole lot of regulations to break up monopolies, including media-giants. Otherwise, it seems to me like the players may change, but the game remains the same.

[flamin lib]

8. I'm with ya on that but can't imagine a way to do it in reality.

Even with a 100% volunteer campaign you still need office space, band width, phones to bank off and a host of niggling things like literature and signs.

A modern campaign can't be run without $$.

Can the source of the $$ be controlled? Maybe but damned if I can figure out how.

[stillcool]

11. The Brennan Center has info

on public campaign financing. All we would need is a Democratic Majority, but that's always the thing.

https://www.brennancenter.org/issues/reform-money-politics/public-campaign-financing

https://www.brennancenter.org/our-work/policy-solutions/case-hr1

[flamin lib]

18. I'll look into it, thanks for the reference and promoting the org. nt

[redstatebluegirl]

5. I fear they may get some moderate Democrats.

Many of the people we may lose are large donors and volunteers. If this happens we lose and so do the far right GOP. The majority of the country are in the middle. We have to begin now to educate people on what we support.

[applegrove]

9. Yes. Democrats are the big tent party.

[flamin lib]

10. I'm sure you fear is well founded. That said

I think they will pull far more from the existing (and hopefully declining) Republican party will be far greater.

I also agree that the majority of the country is Middle of the Road.

If the Lincoln Party is a more centrist party that will allow the Liberals to drag the middle farther in our direction. I think it will take a decade, that's two election cycles, for the LP to materialize as a power base and when it does it will be far less RWNutz giving the Democratic Party breathing room to bloom IF we take advantage of it.

We go work to do.

[Hekate]

6. I rather hope so, and sincerely wish them all the best

[brooklynite]

12. No it won't.....

The Lincoln Project folks are political pros, and as such know the immense lift required to build a third Party which (unlike the Greens) would actually have the ability to elect people rather than make symbolic political statements. Their goal is to try to shift the direction of the Republicans because it has the infrastructure to actually get things accomplished.

[flamin lib]

14. You are likely right, and if that is so then the outcome will be the same.

That would certainly be a shorter route to the end goal. Depends on if the compromises made corrupt the final product. Either way I hope we have an honest sincere two party system.

[LanternWaste]

13. As the Dixiecrats splintered off from the Democratic party...

and were eventually incorporated into the GOP (exceptions aside, of course-- e.g., Byrd), I think the Lincoln Project republicans (i.e., Edmund Burke/Russell Kirk-style republicans and the Tuesday Group oriented factions) will be forced to divorce themselves completely from the GOP and slowly incorporate into the Democratic party.

There's a major party realignment happening within the GOP right now that's been simmering since the early nineties. The Eastern Establishment republicans have been pushed/forced out or silenced, and now have no place within the greater extremisms of the MAGA/Tea-Party-oriented GOP of the present.

[flamin lib]

15. Hmm, Interesting perspective.

You clearly have more insight into the the R party than I have--shame on me.

From a global, 30,000 ft view I see some fundamental differences in policy goals that I find difficult to reconcile between the traditional party platforms. At the risk of over-simplification Democrats see governing as using power to improve society while traditional Republicans see governing as a necessary evil to maintain order; one outlook active the other passive. The 'government that governs least' approach on one hand and 'provide for the general welfare' on the other.

Of course philosophies are a spectrum so I can see some of each party switching if we really do have a major upheaval in the R party.

Therein is both a threat and opportunity for the liberal platform. Assuming a two party system how many do we lose to the 'new' party and how many do we gain?

We have a lot of work to do.

[aidbo]

16. We do not have a two party system.

We have a system where 2 parties dominate the government.

[flamin lib]

17. And the difference is?

There are third parties and IF they garner enough votes they have the power to shift the policies for the two. Ross Perot did it when he cost George H bush a second term. That was a true power shift.

Tertiary parties have power only if they represent a segment large enough to sway a few % of votes. Other than that who the hell cares?

A two party system is superior (IMO) to multiple party systems in that they distill issues to choices. When multiple parties force coalitions to achieve a governing majority I don't think anyone wins as the policy choices are muddled to the point of no discernable differences.

That and $5 will get you a cheap cup of coffee.