NOW THAT a few days have passed since Nov. 2 and tempers have had a chance to cool, it is possible to make a reasonable appraisal of the implications of this year's election. While the media has rushed to detail the Republican Party's victory, they have failed to report on one of the most important stories of this year's election. Indeed, this election has now made it clear that the electorate's obsession with party identification has clouded the political process and hurt our national political system.
The most obvious example of this growing partisan divide can be seen in the results of the presidential election. Indeed, this year's electoral cycle has clearly exposed the regional divisions within the United States, with Kerry winning all of New England and the West Coast and Bush winning all the South and the Mountain states. In addition to this, several states that went narrowly for Bush or Gore in 2000 were considerably less close in this election. For example, while Bush won West Virginia with a fairly slim majority of six points in 2000, he breezed by with a 13-point margin in 2004. Similarly, while Gore won Oregon by less than a percentage point in 2000, Kerry won the state by a more comfortable margin of four points. These statistics echo the trend toward increasing strong party identification that is dividing the nation by making Southern Democrats and New England Republicans a dying breed.
The growing importance of party identification has been even more apparent in this year's senatorial elections. Indeed, in the 11 states hosting competitive Senate races, Colorado has been the only state that has elected a senator from a different party than its presidential selection. This trend toward increasingly strong party loyalty has been particularly pronounced in conservative states like South Dakota. In this state, the two-time Republican senatorial candidate John Thune was able to beat Senate Minority Leader Tom Daschle in 2004, despite loosing to the much less influential Democratic incumbent, Tim Johnson, in 2002. Indeed, while John Thune lost to a candidate who had limited political experience 2002, he managed to beat a senior senator who had his significant political influence to secure vital government services for his state in 2004. John Thune's ability to beat a much more formidable candidate by riding on the partisanship engendered by a presidential election is a strong example of how partisanship can crowd out long-standing moderate candidates.
Although party identification has always mattered to the American electorate, it has recently emerged in a new and much more ominous form. Although the second half of the 20th century has been characterized by a weakening of party ties, this trend has recently been reversed in the face of a growing sense of distrust between the two major parties. Indeed, while many once feltcomfortable splitting their ticket, there is now a growing tendency among the American electorate to associate candidates with the most extreme elements of their party.
This tendency has been especially prevalent in Southern House and Senate races this year. Indeed, across the South, moderate to conservative Democratic candidates have seen their Republican opponents erroneously characterize them as liberal Ted Kennedy clones. While these efforts would not usually be particularly noteworthy, they have been incredibly effective as Democrats have lost all five competitive Southern Senate races this year. The effectiveness of this strategy is another indication of the fact that a large number of Americans are growing increasingly unwilling to support moderate candidates from opposing parties.
With this in mind, the American people's growing distrust of opposing parties is clearly playing a significant role in the nation's political environment. Ultimately, this distrust is creating a party-based groupthink that is suppressing non-conventional policy proposals, while at the same time eliminating the moderate voice of Southern Democrats and New England Republicans. In this way, this trend is hurting our government's overall effectiveness by hindering creativity and polarizing the legislature.
In the end, this problem will not be addressed unless the American political system is able to reduce its emphasis on party identification, and acknowledge that not all Republicans are like Trent Lott and that not all Democrats are like Ted Kennedy.
In short, what is needed is political sanity. Unfortunately, these days that seems to be in short supply.
Adam Keith is a Cavalier Daily viewpoint writer.
Read More
VEGA: In defense of President Jim Ryan
By Keoni Vega | YesterdayShould the raucous Jefferson Council and related conservative groups succeed in their effort to oust President Ryan, the University will enter a new phase that will be unrecognizable to most of its current students and staff.
EDITORIAL: U.Va. needs to promote better artificial intelligence policies
By Editorial Board | May 27, 2025A better method of controlling AI use in classrooms comes with collaboration and communication — the University should set a clear policy-making process for professors.
PAYNE: U.Va.’s acquisition of the FEI directly harms the children of Charlottesville
By Michael Payne | May 25, 2025The Department of Education rescinded its award to CCS and gave the FEI property to the University instead.
