Originally Posted by skysla

Diversity in ideology is both the strength and weakness of the Democratic Party. In contrast, unity in ideology is both the strength and weakness of the Republican Party.

The Democrats always have unity problems when it comes to voting for certain issues. That is why they had so many problems when they tried to pass some of the most important items on their agenda such as the health care reform. And, that is why they do not have an agreement on the Bush-era tax cuts that are making news. You see a lot of conservative Democratic lawmakers. Although you might say it is a bad thing, it gives them chances of having A LOT of seats (ex - supermajority in the Senate) that the Republican Party will never get unless there is a fundamental change in the distribution of the seats in the Congress.

The Republicans, on the other hand, do not have many moderate Republicans. They had many just a few years ago, and now they have only a handful of them. That makes them unite easily and fiercely oppose anything the Democrats try to do. As you all know, they use fear and extremism to scare people. While that gives them an advantage in the short run, it will make them a smaller minority over time. It is just a matter of time. Also, the "Tea Party" candidates that the Republican leaders are willing to support right now will become troublesome for the leaders in the near future. They will be literally "uncontrollable" in the Congress. The Republican leadership won't have any control over them. These people are a double-edged sword.....

However, for us, the short-term disadvantage that the Democrats have is toxic. Unless they pass the DREAM Act this year, we won't have much of a chance for the next few years as more extreme Republicans are expected to enter the Congress.