🚀 go-pugleaf

In article <3odkh0$bp9@sernews.raleigh.ibm.com>,
Ed Green  <ed_green@vnet.ibm.com> wrote:
 
>> 	He must be one dem liberals from Chapel Hill.

>Wrong, on both counts!

	NO!  You're pulling my leg.

>I believe this attitude is reenforced by NC having (only two) party 
>voting options on the ballots.  I had never heard of such upon moving
>here.  Is this common in The South? 

	The existence of a second part on Southern ballots
	is a pretty recent occurrence.  Up until the 70s
	in some states, and probably later in others, the
	Democratic primary was *the* election.  There were
	no Republicans.

	Ironically, the rise of the Republican part may actually
	have diminished the political variety.  The Democratic party,
	when it was the only party, represented a blend of populist
	perspectives.  Temper this, of course, with the sense that
	it was all fairly conservative, and that there were
	political machines controlling the whole mess.

	In today's climate, the Republicans are pretty much
	monolithic, although once they're in power awhile
	they'll likely start having some in-fighting.  And
	the Democrats today are trying to bend over backwards
	to see how Republican-like they can appear.

	As James Thurber wrote, "See what the bears in the
	back room will have."
	
-- 
fls@walras.econ.duke.edu <Forrest Smith>