American Politics and the Second Coming of the Tea Party Part 2 (b)

By Miriam B. Medina

(Continue from Part 2: (a)

Teddy Roosevelt was a very American major disruptive factor in the 1912 presidential election, 4 years after he declined to run for President for a 3rd term. He found the policies of his own party's President, William Howard Taft, to be far too conservative for his liking. After a rift at the Republican Convention, Teddy formed the Bull Moose Party and took enough Republican votes from Taft to allow Democratic nominee Woodrow Wilson to win the Presidency.

Little in the two political party system has changed in the past 100 years since the election of 1912, with the exception of an occasional Independent like Ross Perot who popped up in the 1980's, and 1990's to make some noise, until very recently. CNBC financial analyst Rick Santelli hit on a nerve on a broadcast after the financial crisis of 2008 erupted. Upset with more bailouts of people who bought houses they could not afford and people who financed those houses, Santelli said: "We're thinking of having a Chicago Tea Party in July! All you capitalists that want to show up at Lake Michigan I'm organizing a party!"

The Tea Party movement was born. Though Santelli is not affiliated with the Tea Party directly, he said some things that many Americans felt at the time. Many like Santelli were vocally tired of big government and special interest politicians taking tax money and throwing it at every problem in the hopes of fixing it. Santelli and the traders on the floor on that show expressed; that they were tired of a government that is self-perpetuating for government's sake instead of for its people's sake. The Founding Fathers were right, the danger of any political system, even a well-intentioned one, is that it will grow to a point where its only concern is maintaining political power at any cost.

The Obama Administration came in preaching change, and they are not the problem. Even if, they truly believed they could enforce change when they took office, the two-party systems don't allow it. Policy change would allow a shift in the balance of power. That hasn't occurred in this country since the Whigs threw a curve ball to the power grid of this country's political framework back in the 1840's. However, the fact is, change can be a good thing. The Founding Fathers demanded change. A new voice or view-point could help the country get a new perspective. It is obvious the Tea Party has managed to get a lot of people involved in politics who were never involved before. Besides even more people getting involved with different views and different voices would be better. That is what a democracy is about. Self governance that is equally participated in and therefore, equally represented.

The Tea Party has swelled in its ranks since members started forming protests a few weeks after the Santelli rant. Since then, the fledgling movement has grown rapidly in America, sponsoring hundreds of protests, boasting millions of members, and affecting the 2010 elections that swayed the balance of power once again from one party, the Democratic Party, to two parties. The Tea Party, however, is not yet an official, political party in America. The line between self governance and being ruled over is a fine line, that's what makes the project the Founding Fathers did with the Constitution so miraculous. However even they knew that it would require effort, perseverance, vigilance and participation to make a true Democratic Republic work.

As Benjamin Franklin famously said just after the Constitution was ratified, "Well, Doctor, what have we got? A republic or a monarchy? A republic, if you can keep it." With more participation from the American people and more effort from those being governed, America will stand as a republic for many years to come, but it's not politics or political parties that make America strong, it's the people who make up the nation, who believe in freedom and who fight for what is just. Sometimes it just takes a new voice to remind every one of that fact.

As for what Ben Franklin might think of the Republic today and whether or not all Americans should be aware and involved in the politics of the nation to maintain it, I think Ben might have said: "Let's have a cup of tea and talk about it. With some good open honest discussion, always there's a consensus to be found that can satisfy us all!" On the other hand, then, he always was penny wise and pound smartly!

I hope you will please consider all this and think on it.

To contact: miriammedina@earthlink.net
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American Politics and the Second Coming of the Tea Party Part 2 (a)

By Miriam B. Medina

"In framing a government which is to be administered by men over men the great difficulty lies in this: You must first enable the government to control the governed, and in the next place, oblige it to control itself." - Alexander Hamilton

This piece, part two of a two-part series, will pick up where part one left off, at the demise of the Federalist Party and the emergence of the Democratic-Republican Party. It will then explore the remaining history of American political parties up to this day.

The party system in the United States was born as the Federalists, in favor of central government and industry, and the Anti-Federalists, in favor of states rights and farming, struggled for power. As part of the deal that ended with the ratification of the Constitution, the two parties agreed that a body elect would choose the President and the Vice President, not the people themselves. This was the method of choosing the President until 1824, when the system we have now was put into place. George Washington was unanimously elected by electoral vote as the first President and John Adams was his Vice-President.

The Federalists' demise began in 1790. Alexander Hamilton and Thomas Jefferson took opposing sides on the formation of a central bank and the beginning of a national debt. Jefferson became head of what would become the Democratic-Republican Party, denouncing the Federalists as no better than the king himself. Washington and Adams were voted in again, and The Federalists hung onto power. Nonetheless, the makings of the first real American Heavyweight bout were underway. In the champion's corner, was John Adams for President representing the Federalists. In the challenger's corner, were Thomas Jefferson and the Democratic-Republican Party. Washington decided to retire as his Administration was harshly criticized over policy. In the ensuing election, Adams received 71 electoral votes to Jefferson's 68. So much for unanimous elections and harmonious political existence! The result was that Adams became President and Jefferson became Vice-President.

Into the 1800's, the Republican and Democratic parties remained aligned with the Republican party growing in strength. As a result, the federal government grew and strengthened, as well. The government was growing in scope of power too. The "Sedition Law," which punished "any false, scandalous, or malicious writing against the government of the United States, or either House of Congress, or the President," was considered a despotic act. Jefferson and the Republicans won in 1800 and Aaron Burr, the Democratic Party leader, became Vice-President. The Federalist Party was no more. The Democratic - Republican Party for the time being would reign supremely. The effort to strengthen the central government excessively at the expense of the power of the states had come to naught, and the Federalists, as a well-defined party, gradually vanished from existence.

With the Democratic-Republican Party firmly in power, many unpopular laws were repealed, and the federal government went back about its business. Over the next 30 years, the Democratic-Republican Party slowly became two more distinct parties.

In 1834, as the National Republican Party faded into the background, the Whig Party was born with leaders like Daniel Webster, who favored Congressional power over Presidential power. The Whigs wanted to expand the national government (and the country itself) westward. In 1840, the first Whig president, William Henry Harrison, was elected. The last Whig president, Zachary Taylor, was elected in 1848. The Whigs were not around for very long. Mediocre sitcoms on television have lasted longer than the Whigs. In 1854, the Republican Party reformed, bolstered by support from the tattered Whigs and the independent Free Soldiers.

By 1860, the issue of slavery and state rights dominated the political landscape. The country was divided North and South. The Democratic Party literally split in two, just like the nation would a year later. The Southern Democrats were in favor of the federal protection of slavery in the western territories, the Northern Democrats were not. They wanted the Supreme Court to handle the issue. This led to the election of a Republican President, Abraham Lincoln, who firmly believed that the Union would be held together by the federal government at all costs. His policies and the divided nation's conflicting views led to the bloody, divisive, four-year long Civil War that lasted from 1861 until 1865. The Reconstruction Years that followed saw the South lose most of its political sway for the next few decades.

By the 1890's, the Democratic and Republican parties, mostly as we know them today, were firmly entrenched as the two major political parties that controlled United States Politics. Republicans became known as the conservative or right-wing party, and Democrats became known as the liberal or left-wing party. The parties themselves became entrenched in their positions, growing further and further apart in their philosophies, getting more and more concerned with Republican or Democratic values and less concerned with the values of the American citizens they governed. The divide between party values and American values varied so widely that Teddy Roosevelt broke his own party apart during the election of 1912.

Continue: Part 2 (b)
To contact: miriammedina@earthlink.net
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American Politics and the Second Coming of the Tea Party Part I

By Miriam B. Medina

"In framing a government which is to be administered by men over men the great difficulty lies in this: You must first enable the government to control the governed, and in the next place, oblige it to control itself." ---Alexander Hamilton

The past 50 years of American politics are vastly different from the first 50 years of American politics. The Founding Fathers were charged with framing a Constitution and building a free nation that could be self-perpetuating. One that could offer hopes and promises, which is now known as The American Dream. Major politicians in the United States over the past 50 years have been concerned with fighting communism, expanding and protecting which by any definition should be considered an Empire, and quite frankly, by maintaining office and performing damage control due to failed policies of the past and a massive surge in the population. Still, one thing remains the same going back to the birth of this nation: cliques and sects of politicians aligned by political similarities have worked together in parties to amass political power and sway. Today we only know of the Democrats (liberals) and Republicans (conservatives), with the occasional Independent popping up in a Presidential or Gubernatorial race.

This piece, part one of a two-part series, will delve into the history of politics and political parties in the United States, exploring political alignments up to the prevailing parties and the emergence of the hybrid "Tea Party" that has recently dominated headlines. This unsatisfied modern Tea Party pays homage to the Boston Tea Party, who dumped English tea in the Boston Harbor on December 16th, 1773. As the nation grows weary of an ever-expanding government, increasing regulation, increased spending and a tax bill that seems as hungry as The Blob from the 50's horror movie of the same name, it's good to see new, more rebellious parties crawl out of the woodwork. Frankly, it takes us back to our origins, when our forefathers questioned the way that we as a people were governed and decided to do something about it. They would govern themselves.

The major rift between the Founding Fathers (men like Ben Franklin, Thomas Jefferson, John Adams and Alexander Hamilton) and King George began to come to a boiling point between 1763 and 1769. The king began to encroach on American colonists' independence. He realized that the colonists, who were left largely to their own devices, had thrived. Their population and trade booming, King George decided he wanted a bigger piece of the action. He instituted a policy of taxation without representation. He began taxing trade and goods and even tea! We Americans were largely of British descent. We liked our tea. What sort of monstrosity was this monarch, to mess with a person's tea?

By 1770, tensions between Britain and the colonies worsened, and tempers flared, as well. Americans began to grumble about oppression and liberty, though gaining independence was no small task. Many feared independence and retribution from the massive British military power. They just wanted an ease in taxation or a representative in the British government. Others, like Patrick Henry, famously wanted "Liberty or Death!"

Ultimately violence erupted, which led to typical political wrangling as Britain and the colonies geared for war. The long year of 1775 was filled with prose, rhetoric and threats from both sides. By 1776, the War for Independence had begun. Since most people are aware of the outcome of that war, we'll skip through the war itself. Needless to say, The Declaration of Independence and the Articles of Confederation were signed, and the war was underway, full swing, until October 1781 in Yorktown, Virginia when General Cornwallis surrendered to George Washington. The Treaty of Paris was officially signed on September 3, 1783, and we were a nation. On the other hand, what sort of government was to run this new, young nation? Would it be a rogue gathering of city states with a myriad of individualized rules and state laws, or would it be a united federalized government? These were the two options, and those who aligned on each side of this argument formed the first real American political parties. The Founding Fathers had to agree on and formulate a Constitution and give this country an agreeable framework to build upon.

Nevertheless the Founding Fathers wanted to do this the right way. They wanted to establish a new order of the ages with the United States Constitution. The proposition that "all men are created equal" had never before been the basis of a government. Regal blood and might formed the ruling class of countries until that point in history, not merely common men. The framers wanted to devise a government based on an objective standard of justice to be served equally to one and all, a government to serve and protect a people who were to be self-governed.

Over the progression of the history of the United States, there have been two main political "sides" or views, whatever the party names might be. Parties are based on degrees of these views. One is either liberal or conservative in their beliefs, or some combination of the two. The basis of these two core philosophies is what all parties are formed around. The Founding Fathers created the first parties based on States Rights. These parties were known as Anti-Federalists, in favor of state's rights, and Federalists, who were in favor of a binding, unified central government. Through the centuries, as parties have morphed and issues and party names have changed and grown, these two parties have developed into what we now know as the Democrats (in favor of big central government) and the Republicans (in favor of a much smaller federal government). As there is no chance of disbanding the federal government, the argument is now about having more or less federal government, not a federal government or no federal government at all, but the core principles are the same.

In fact, most of the Founding Fathers didn't think very highly of political parties at all. They'd be aghast if they saw the spectacle that is a Presidential election today. Nonetheless, many of the framers found themselves affiliated with one political party or the other during their government careers, because it is the nature of a voter to liken politicians to a specific party. As parties in American politics developed one party would gain and hold power for many years much like the Republican and Democratic parties of today. Over the years, we have had 5 major parties at the forefront of our political machine in the United States.

The Federalists and the Anti-Federalists were our first 2 prominent parties. They reigned from 1796 to 1828. The Federalists believed in strong centralized government, industrialization, the creation of a national bank, and government controlled and constructed roads and canals. The Anti-Federalists disagreed across the board. Good old American rebellious bickering ensued. The Anti-Federalists strongly supported the rights of the states, favored farming, and wanted to keep the government's hands out of building roads and canals. The Federalists fought for and ratified the Constitution on June 21st, 1778. However, the Anti Federalists, who became the Democratic-Republican Party, eventually gained influence over the American people and weakened the Federalists into obscurity by 1824.

In part two of this two-part series, we'll explore the history of political parties and introduce the evolution of what is a two-party system in the United States. We'll also cover the existing political party landscape inside the beltway today.

Contact: miriammedina@earthlink.net
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MAIN BLOG DIRECTORY-May 2011

Table of Contents (2)

A.) Getting To Know Mimi (B.) N.Y.C. History (C.) Italian Harlem(D.) Spanish Harlem (E.) Black Harlem (F.) New York State (G.) Tenement Living: Social Issues Of Urban Life (Poverty, Crime&Vice, Homelessness, Group Conflicts, Diseases, Gays&Lesbians: Gender Identity, Domestic Violence, Drug&Alcohol Abuse, Police Brutality )

Table of Contents (3)

(H.) Chit-Chat Over Coffee Swirls

Table of Contents (4)

(I.) Jewish Knowledge (J.) Self-Improvement (K.) Historical Facts On England & United States

Table of Contents (5)

(L) Miscellaneous (M.) Timetables (N.) Ethnic Groups (O.) Legal Talk(P.) Entertainment: Backward Glances (Q.) Immigration

Table of Contents (6)

R.) Women__Bio Sketches, Feminine Fancies, Recipes, Kitchen Talk.(S.) Worship

Table of Contents (7)

(T.) A Little Taste of History, (U.) U.S. History-Transportation, (V) U.S. History-Panics, Economic Depressions, Business Matters

Table of Contents (8)

(W) El Rincón En Español (The Spanish Corner: ) . This section is dedicated to articles of historical facts, poetry, self-improvement, human interest stories etc. written in Spanish.

Table of Contents (9)

(X) So Mr. President, What Did You Do During Your Term in Office....? (The Series)

Table of Contents (10a) In Italian

(Y) Brusciano, Italy News/Events

Dr. Antonio Castaldo, Journalist

Table of Contents (10b) English Section

Y) Brusciano, Italy News/Events

Dr. Antonio Castaldo, Journalist

Table of Contents (11)

(Z) The Italian Niche

Table of Contents (12a)

Pensieri di uno scrittore italiano: dott. Antonio Castaldo

Table of Contents (12b)

Thoughts of an Italian Writer: Dr. Antonio Castaldo

Table of Contents (13)

I) "El Rincón Borinqueña"

Table of Contents (14)

II) Arts and Entertainment

Table of Contents (15)

III Architecture

Table of Contents (16)

IV Education

Table of Contents (17)

V Wisdom: Thoughts From the Indian Masters

Table of Contents (18)

VI Understanding Music

Table of Contents (19)

VII Published Articles Written by Miriam B. Medina

Click on Icon to view articles on Ezine or on Table of Contents

Table of Contents (20)

VIII New York City Neighborhoods

Table of Contents (21)

IX Memories (Brooklyn, Manhattan and Personal)

Table of Contents (22)

John J. Burkard

X Red Hook, Reflections on History

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