By Dr. Harold A. Black
blackh@knoxfocus.com
haroldblackphd.com
Current events have opened up differences that pose existential threats to both the Republican and Democrat parties. For the Republicans the speaker mess has exposed pure venom being directed at the eight who toppled Kevin McCarthy. There is considerable friction among Republican members over continued funding for Ukraine. The new Speaker, Mike Johnson voted against supplemental funding for Ukraine. The question is whether the Republicans can come together and act as a party or will they continue to conduct a circular firing squad. One outcome is for the right wing of the party to splinter off into a new party. A close friend suggested the name Whigs 2.0 which is brilliant. But let’s call it the Conservative Party.
For the Democrats, the schism is over Israel. The “progressives” have come to the aid of Hamas under the guise of protecting the Palestinians. They have protested in rallies with the pro-Palestinian groups condemning Israel and calling for a ceasefire – which would only serve to save Hamas from the Israelis’ vengeance. At many of the rallies, some have carried swastikas. Previously, when white supremacists would brandish swastikas, the press was full of pictures and talking heads on CNN and MSNBC who would literally go crazy. Now that the anti-Israeli student organizations and groups are waving swastikas and calling for the elimination of Israel itself – the chant from river to sea – criticism from the media is totally absent. AOC, the Squad, the Democratic Socialists of America and Antifa have more in common with the Aryan Brotherhood and the American Nazi Party than they want to admit.
The rift amongst the Democrats showed in the vote in the House to support Israel and condemn Hamas. The vote was 410-10-6. Nine of the no votes were all the usual suspects: Rashida Tlaib, Cori Bush, Jamaal Bowman, Andre Carson, Al Green, Summer Lee, AOC, Ilhan Omar and Delia Ramirez. Some were totally disingenuous when they said they opposed the resolution because it did not mention a two-state solution. Either they are ignorant or think that we are because the Palestinians themselves reject the two-state solution. All 15 were members of the progressive caucus. Fifteen of the 16 are “people of color.” The other nay vote was from Thomas Massie (R-KY) who supported Israel but voted no because he craves publicity.
The divisions in the Democrats came front and center when Josh Gottheimer (D-NJ) said “Last night, 15 of my Democratic colleagues voted against standing with our ally Israel and condemning Hamas terrorists who brutally murdered, raped and kidnapped babies, children, men, women and elderly, including Americans. They are despicable and do not speak for our party.” This provoked one of the “Hamas Caucus” Andre Carson (D-IN) to call Gottheimer a punk. Do you think reconciliation is possible between these two. Moreover, Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-FL) said, “Someone who votes against this doesn’t have a soul.”
The anti-Israelis in the Democratic party are not limited to the Congress. In North Carolina, a resolution passed unanimously only because the Democratic members walked out before the vote. Jewish legislators see this and have been critical of their “progressive” colleagues. Many comments are scathing. One wonders what is being said in private. Why are the majority of Jews Democrats when Israel’s most vocal critics tend to be on the left? I have not heard of a single Republican coming to the defense of Hamas. Some like Lindsay Graham favor bombing Hamas. But then again, Lindsey Graham is in favor of bombing everyone.
Even the far left is splintering as one of the leaders of the Democratic Socialists of America has resigned over that organization’s support of Hamas. Expect the Jews to scale back their financial support of Democrats and splinter the legislative caucuses. Perhaps the anti-Israeli faction will leave the party and create their own political party. Omar, Tlaib, Pressley, Bowman and AOC would likely be more comfortable in a party than in one with Steve Cohen and Chuck Schumer. Let’s call it the Progressive Party.
It is likely that the Conservative Party would siphon off 20 percent of the Republicans and the Progressive Party would garner 20 percent of the Democrats. That would give us four parties with enough supporters to influence elections and could lead to a coalition government. Those governments make for strange bedfellows. Just look at Europe.
