> > ... you can't plausibly make the argument that there's no significant
>difference between the two
>> parties when the right-wing party is in power - it's too obviously
>> untrue.
>>
>> Doug
>
>So, channeling the ghost of Brad DeLong: why would you want to make the
>argument, since it's a lie?
I don't make the argument anymore. I'd say the Dems may be less bad, but they're still not good enough, by a long shot.
I'd also argue that the kinds of oppositional struggles the two parties inspire are different enough to matter: with the Reps, you're trying to defend the social gains of the better moments of the 20th century, while with the Dems, you're trying to do better than nothing or a weak something.
I think Nathan's absolutely right about things like the NLRB too. That matters a lot if you're trying to organize a union or keep one from being busted.
Doug