Gideon recently wrote an article on the polarizing effect that the left is playing on American Society today.  It was about one issue, yet it got me to thinking.  What is going on with the left today?

I don't mean only the leadership.  But ma and pa liberal who hold liberal values dear, or Johnny Liberal who is a dyed in the wool liberal and knows his stuff.  And of course the loony loopy left that has taken over the leadership.

I see the left in 3 parts (I am sure you can see the right in 3 parts as well, but that is for another article). 

On the right of left, you have the centrist Liberals.  These are the ones that are more moderate than liberal, but hold many liberal views on social welfare and perhaps even the war.  But they are embarrassed, openly, by the screaming and vitriol of the loony left and the democrat leadership.  While they agree with some of the issues that the leadership espouses, they don't want anything to do with those who call the soldiers baby killers, and the hate Bush to spite the nose crowd.  They are very rational, and do argue well their position because they do not carry the baggage of the hate crowd.

Then you have the typical liberal.  These are the ones that are probably environmentalist, Pro Choice for women period, and of course the social welfare liberals.  They share very few views with any right of center people and debate them vigorously.  They have their own agenda, yet they can argue without resorting to hate and vitriol.  They rarely concede a point, but you can tell when they have run out of arguments or tire of the chase.  They walk away.  They rarely if ever resort to name calling.  And while they do not disavow the loony loopy leadership and other liberals, they don't defend them either.  They ignore the crazies on their side of the spectrum, I think in the hope they will go away or get laryngitis.

Then you have the loony loopy Luddite leftists.  I think we all have seen who they are, from the Durbin "Nazi" and Dean "I hate" ones to the DU.org ones shown by Dr. Bailey.  These don't have any real arguments and hardly ever debate.  They will twists what you say to what they want you to say so they can attack you and belittle you.  And call you names.  Not mild oaths like stupid and idiot, but 4 letter invectives and of course the famous Nazis, Fascists, racists, homophobes, bigots, sexists and Neocons (although none really know what that means).

These are the polarizing left and as we have seen time and time again, they have grabbed control of the democrat party.

The right seeing this, and seeing what it is doing to the country, try to reason with them.  That does not work.  So they try to warn all lefties that they are being led down the path to hell by the loons. 

The Centrist liberals see that too and despair.  And try to stop the rabid erosion of the party.

The Liberals see that as well, but feel they must stay in bed with the loons as they are a minority party, and they need to build up their numbers (forgetting that the loons are the ones that are killing the numbers).

And the loons see nothing wrong.  The truth is as plain as the space where their nose on their face used to be.  The more they hear their echos of hate and self loathing, the happier they are because they think they are connecting with the American public.  They will not only attack any rightie with zeal, but any leftie that strays too far off the reservation.  In essence, they are eating their young.

I don't see this situation changing until the loony loopy Luddite lefties are marginalized.  And that wont happen until the other 2/3 of the party abandon them and move to grab the center away from the righties.  For the righties don't own the center, but the center looks to the left, sees the rabid attack dogs and seek the security of the right to protect them and their loved ones against the rabid ones.

I know none of the LLL lefties will read this and see anything but ignorance and hatred.  And the middle of the left will see some to agree with, but dare not agree with it for fear of attack from the LLL.  And the Left Center? They are the ones going to be going "Damn right!  But you missed a spot!" (Of course they cant outright agree with a rightie, now can they?)