We can talk all day about the definition and function of a political “base.”
But none of that matters in the end. A political party is a voluntary association of people who (supposedly) commit to help each other elect individuals to office, with the idea that, so far as possible, those individuals will reflect a commonly agreed-upon platform.
In that sense, it’s like a voluntary union. Except some people agree to abide by the majority’s decisions and some people think it’s okay to bail if they don’t agree with the majority’s decisions.
How does that work? How do some people think they can associate with a party, but then cut and run on it if they are unable to persuade the majority to see things their way?
A party’s political base has NEVER been able to determine the direction of the party, any more than the swing voters have been. It’s a constantly changing mix depending on the historical circumstances, the particular individuals who emerge as candidates, and so on.
The base is the base because, unlike the swing voters, they have NO WHERE ELSE to go. They would never vote for the other party (in the short-term), yet if they are honest, voting third party or sitting out is just plain dumb, a bunch of sound and fury signifying nothing.
When people don’t like the candidates, they blame . . . the party, the MSM, the blah blah blah. But if there is a locus of responsibility for the candidates, it’s the base and the base alone. It’s the base that has to grow candidates and get them traction. Sometimes, despite the base’s best efforts, that’s impossible-—history will not allow it. (We may be in one of those times right now.) However, most of the time the base sits around moaning that they are helpless and powerless in the face of the ominpotent [fill in the blank-—RNC, whatever].
But again: all that is water under the bridge on Election Day. At that point, the primary process has produced who it has produced and it’s time to step up to the plate and do what’s best for the country.
And what’s best for the country at this point in history is not taking our marbles and going home, but doing whatever we can to stop the greater evil from taking power in our country.
Roger that!
I already am doing what I can to stop the greater evil.
The difference between us, however, is that I know the evil is larger than the political scene. And there is no fundamental difference between the two parties in what they are doing, namely; subverting our Constitution, and selling our national sovreignty, or freedom, and our future down the globalist river.