Quoted from 347

I find it funny that Parisi asked Santabarbara to swear him in as the new TB member and two days later AS is a Dem ~ HA!

The Rotterdam GOP chair couldn't keep a district 4 elected Rep on the team ~ ouch!  Here's the problem ~ all these defections have one thing in common ~ Tom & Jerry (Dagostino, Vellano, Lazzari, Santabarbara, and God knows who next)

Not sure who is best to bring in energy and leadership to the GOP ~ but it will be fun to see.

Quoted Text

The Third Party System was the political universe in American politics from about 1854 to the mid 1890s (see Second Party System, Fourth Party System). In terms of issues, the main concerns were nationalism, Civil War, modernization, prohibition, and race. In terms of parties, the Third Party System was dominated by the new Republican Party, which claimed success in saving the Union, abolishing slavery, enfranchising the freedmen, and adopting as well many of the Whig Party's modernization programs such as national banks, railroads, high tariffs, homesteads and aid to land grant colleges. It includes the politics of the Gilded Age. The Democratic party was highly competitive in most states, but won the presidency only in 1856, 1884 and 1892. In 1892, the Populist Party made a remarkable showing, winning 22 electoral votes and one million popular votes.

In terms of elections, the GOP was dominant 1860-1872, and most elections from 1874 through 1892 were close. However the main opposition party, the Democrats won only the 1856, 1884 and 1892 presidential elections; however, from 1874 to 1892 it usually controlled the House of Representatives. The northern and western states were largely Republican, save for closely balanced New York and Indiana. After 1874 the Democrats took control of the "Solid South." [1]


1856 Democratic winning ticketIn terms of voter coalitions, the main groups involved ethnic/racial, and religious (or "ethnoreligious") affiliations, which closely tracked moral issues in politics. In a nutshell, the South was split between the white Democrats and the black Republicans. In the North pietistic evangelical Protestants (such as Methodists and Congregationalists, Scandinavian Lutheran) dominated the GOP and pushed it toward anti-slavery and anti-liquor positions. Liturgical voters (Catholic, Episcopalian, German Lutheran) supported the Democrats. Irish Catholics emerged as a major leadership group in the Democratic party. Class differences also existed, with the middle class Republican and the working class Democratic. Farmers split.

In terms of rules, a central issue involved the right to vote of Freedmen (former slaves), which they had from 1867 to about 1890, when they were disfranchised.

Contents [hide]
1 Complex origins
2 Voter behavior
3 Broad coalitions form each party
4 Religion: pietistic Republicans versus liturgical Democrats
5 Realignment in the 1850s
6 Ideology and Politics in the 1850s
7 The Civil War
8 Postwar
9 Climax and Collapse, 1890-1896
9.1 Populist debate
10 Rules changes
11 Third Parties
12 Fourth Party System, 1896-1932
13 noted

Complex origins
Gienapp (1987) is the most complex analysis of the formation of the system. His has six basic findings. First, the realignment of the 1850s began before the Whig party's collapse, not as a consequence of it. It was instigated, not by national politicians, but by the electorate at the state and local levels who lost faith in Whiggery. Second, what destroyed the Second Party System was an upheaval among the masses that mobilized ethnocultural concerns reegarding the paramount cultural issues of temperance, nativism, anti-Catholicism in protest against the major parties, and especially in protest against the Democrats who were forming close links with the Irish Catholics. Third, the Know-Nothing party was the organizational embodiment of this eruption. and in Eastern states the Republicans were a secondary force unable to take advantage of anti-Nebraska and antislavery sentiment because those issues were simply less salient among available voters who were troubled by the culture wars. Gienapp's fifth point is that the realignment of the 1850s was far more sweeping than those of the 1890s and 1930s, for it required voters in some states to shift twice, first toward the Know Nothings then second toward the Republicans in a "two step" process. And finally the role of party leadership was decisive. The Whigs lost their leaders; the Know-Nothings never had powerful or experienced men at the helm. The new Republican party had both, and was swept along with an enthusiasm that proved irresistible in every northern state.

Voter behavior
As with the preceding Second Party System era, the Third was characterized by intense voter interest, routine high turnout, unflinching party loyalty, dependence on nominating conventions, hierarchical party organizations, and the systematic use of government jobs as patronage for party workers. Cities of 50,000 or more developed ward and citywide "bosses," who could depend on the votes of clients, especially recent immigrants. Newspapers continued to be the primary communication system, with the great majority closely linked to one party or the other. [2]

Quoted from greenlantern

Senders, the same retread comment can be made about the NNTP, no?

Quoted Text

A majority much more than veto-proof
Marv Cermak

Republicans, owners of just four seats on the 15-member Schenectady County Legislature during recent years, are down to only two votes.

The Democratic majority recently swelled to a lop-sided 13-2 because Republican Joe Suhrada didn't seek re-election and Ang Santabarbara tore up his GOP membership card and enrolled as a Democrat.

In the '60s, there was the same 13-2 numerical breakdown of the legislature, but back then the Republicans had the upper hand.

John McGuire and Gary White, both now deceased, were the only Democrats. I recall politicos used to kid that the two men could hold their minority caucuses in a phone booth.

Quoted from Shadow

I think that Ang has lost a lot of support from his base that voted for him by switching parties and the climate of the people right now is to not re-elect incumbents anyway.

Quoted from GrahamBonnet

You all cry TERM LIMITS TERM LIMITS! Then when a guy choses NOT to run for a seat after 8 years, he is "selfish" and "wrong" etc etc LOL!!!!!!  

Quoted from GrahamBonnet

You all cry TERM LIMITS TERM LIMITS! Then when a guy choses NOT to run for a seat after 8 years, he is "selfish" and "wrong" etc etc LOL!!!!!!  

Quoted from 539

Well it happens all the time.  Look at Villano andDAgostino, Lazzari, Barrie and the list goes on.   Better ask Kelly Rhinesmith about it.  He was her fair-haired boy before it was Parisi.