"Two Healthy Political Parties"

Noah Millman of The American Scene discusses the unhinging of the Republican Party.

I want America to have two healthy political parties. And there’s plenty of material in the GOP DNA, howsoever unexpressed or poorly expressed in the party’s current form, that still speaks to me. So I care about the question that animates Ross’s column. I’m just not convinced that giving them enough rope to hang themselves is the way to beat the ultras. Give ‘em enough rope and you never know who they’ll wind up hanging.

You will recall that I predicted a permanent schism back during the presidential campaign, with the Republican Party becoming 100% identified with Christianism, and the moderate/secular remainder becoming what I would today call the "Conservative Party."

But Millman has a point: a political system with one dominant party is an unhealthy one. Just look at the first six years of the Bush administration and anyone can see that. Eventually, I am confident that an intelligent political party with a compelling message will emerge from the GOP meltdown. And what Millman fears about the "ultras?" I say give 'em just enough rope to hang themselves, as they pretty much are today (O'Reilly, Beck, Hannity, Limbaugh). Give them too much rope, and they'll liable to hang the whole country in their dogged pursuit of being right.