Modern Whig Party

[thekingsguard]

I write for thier site, so I just gotta ask, is any one else here a member? Or for that matter, heard of them?

[Zoombie]

Wait, the Whigs are back? What's their platform!?

(Cause the closest thing to knowing what a Whig is is reading Harry Turtledove's Timeline 191 universe)

[Shadow Dragon]

Yeah, I've heard of them. The party platform seems very pragmatic and I like it. However, until they start getting people in major offices (or into the house of representives) I can't really support them. I want to see what their people will actually do in a position of power.

[Priene]

Upper class, privileged, slightly to the left of far right, wring their hands while they destroy the lives of the poor? That kind of Whig? They're currently in power in the UK.

[Shadow Dragon]

Originally Posted by Priene

Upper class, privileged, slightly to the left of far right, wring their hands while they destroy the lives of the poor? That kind of Whig? They're currently in power in the UK.

In the US, the Whig Party has always been a moderate party. Still probably a bit conservative by Western European standards, but not the far right. In fact they're down right liberal compared to many of the current republicans.

Here's the official website explanation of their views:
http://www.modernwhig.org/handbook/w...where-we-stand

Some of it sounds good on paper, but I'll wait to see how they behave as a group if they're members ever get into a position of power.

[Priene]

Originally Posted by Shadow Dragon

In the US, the Whig Party has always been a moderate party. Still probably a bit conservative by Western European standards, but not the far right. In fact they're down right liberal compared to many of the current republicans.

Here's the official website explanation of their views:
http://www.modernwhig.org/handbook/w...where-we-stand

Some of it sounds good on paper, but I'll wait to see how they behave as a group if they're members ever get into a position of power.

Well, maybe I was being a little unfair when I called them 'slightly to the left of the far right.' Way back when, the Whigs and the Tories were the two main British parties, and the Whigs were generally to the left of the Tories, though this was Victorian times and before, when left and right meant rather different things (notably because the electorate were all rich or middle class). The Liberal party supposedly grew out of the Whigs, though it wasn't that simple. They were an aristocratic party which lost its electoral base by passing the First Reform Act, and their party migrated towards the middle class and became the 'Liberals'. The last time I know of it being used in UK politics was the 'Hartington Whigs', who split from the Liberals over Home Rule for Ireland.

[Lucas]

Sounds like a silly idea.

The United States with the FPTP system doesn't have a place for a(nother) centrist party. Especially not a party named after a particular male fashion that died out in the early half of the 19th century.

US politics are more fractured today, and I believe that genuine third parties will emerge before 2030, but it will be hard to break the two-party monopoly.

I would believe there's room for a Latino-based party however.

[Don]

Calling robovowels.

[Priene]

Funny that a term which originally meant a Scottish cattle-driver should come via constitutional monarchism to a variant of centrism. A bit like Goth being passed down from Alaric to the cathedrals to Bram Stoker to Evanescence. Funny old thing, language.

This new American incarnation doesn't stand much of a chance, I would think. But Camer-Clegg should definitely adopt it, if only so we can resurrect the term whiggery.

[Lucas]

Americans Elect is a far more interesting phenomenon. It could mean that 2012 will be either a three-man race or a four-man race.

http://www.americanselect.org/

[Don]

Originally Posted by Lucas

Americans Elect is a far more interesting phenomenon. It could mean that 2012 will be either a three-man race or a four-man race.

http://www.americanselect.org/

You may want to check their background, major financiers, and control over selection of the candidate before you get too enthused.

[robeiae]

Originally Posted by Don

Calling robovowels.

I'm not a "modern" Whig.

Originally Posted by Priene

Upper class, privileged, slightly to the left of far right, wring their hands while they destroy the lives of the poor? That kind of Whig?

Yes, only with less hand-wringing.

[Lucas]

Originally Posted by Don

You may want to check their background, major financiers, and control over selection of the candidate before you get too enthused.

Probably, but I am not an American citizen, so I wouldn't hopefully be too influenced by this (unless you decide to bomb Sweden). It is an interesting phenomenon however.

[AncientEagle]

Originally Posted by Lucas

Sounds like a silly idea.

The United States with the FPTP system doesn't have a place for a(nother) centrist party. Especially not a party named after a particular male fashion that died out in the early half of the 19th century.

US politics are more fractured today, and I believe that genuine third parties will emerge before 2030, but it will be hard to break the two-party monopoly.

I would believe there's room for a Latino-based party however.

I assume you're talking about the wearing of "wigs?" Not quite the same thing as "Whigs."

Or was that supposed to be a joke and it was too subtle for me? In my part of the southern U.S., we don't pronounce the two words the same.

[clintl]

Originally Posted by robeiae

I'm not a "modern" Whig.

Yes, only with less hand-wringing.

So you're still hoping for the resurrection of William Henry Harrison?

[robeiae]

Tippecanoe and Tyler, too!