[2ndDivisionVet]

The democrats will live to regret this in the general election next year. How did 1% of the population become so powerful that they can get Hillary, Obama and Edwards, etc., to slit their own throats on cue, politically-speaking?

[Lucky Dog]

How did 1% of the population become so powerful...

One third of the population are "yellow dog" democrats (i.e., would vote for a "yellow dog" if it were running on the Democrat ticket). About one third are the equivalent Republicans. The remain one third tends to split very evenly.

Consequently, a few percent of the population (those with no loyalty to either party except for getting one or the other to support an agenda) can control an election. Politicians who only interested in power versus a principled position pander to these segments of the population.

Ergo, you have the situation you are bemoaning. Such will be the case until that center group that swings from one party to the other can be made to conduct such "swings" one the basis of principle instead of media influence and demagoguery.