The extreme wings of both major parties – the far-left of the Democratic Party and far-right of the Republican Party – have infiltrated the mainstream, and now wield more political power than at any other point in recent history.
Even though the vast majority of Americans do not identify with these fringe factions, both parties have in different ways embraced their radical beliefs. Not only has this exacerbated already-existent political polarization, but now, both parties see the other as a threat, rather than as a group of fellow citizens with whom they disagree.
Indeed, 81% of Democrats say the Republican Party will destroy America, and 79% of Republicans say the same of the Democratic Party, according to a recent NBC News poll.
A democratic republic simply cannot function without both parties at the very least recognizing that thoe on the other side of the aisle are not enemies. Partisanship is inevitable in a representative government, but it is a truly sad state of affairs when the only thing that the two major parties can agree on is that the other is a danger to the country. And to be sure, the consequences of this intense polarization and radicalization extend far beyond engendering an unpleasant national political discourse.
Political extremism is the enemy of progress: when our government is trapped in a constant state of gridlock, America cannot prosper economically and progress socially. Further, we are more vulnerable to our global adversaries, America’s true enemies, who diametrically oppose Western values and want to undermine the U.S.’s global preeminence.
Ultimately, both Republicans and Democrats are guilty of enabling the ascendence of extremism within their own party. The GOP has embraced harmful conspiracy theories about the Deep State and voter fraud, while Democrats have entertained socialism and adapted a class- and identity-based approach to politics.
This is not to create a false equivalence between the two, as the right’s election denialism and detachment from reality is clearly one of the most significant internal threats America has faced in decades.
In 2020, far-right actors plotted to install fake electors and prevent the certification of President Joe Biden’s Electoral College victory. Now, many GOP candidates are casting doubt on the results of the 2022 midterms even before Election Day, and the majority of Republican candidates this cycle embrace the “Big Lie” about the 2020 election.
Beyond undermining free and fair elections, the Republican Party has also taken up conspiracy theories – which once only had a place on the far-right outskirts of American politics – as central tenets of its policy platform.
Current Republican Senate candidates – including Blake Masters in Arizona and J.D. Vance in Ohio – embrace nationalistic conspiracies like The Great Replacement Theory, and support policies that would undermine civil rights for women, gays, and minority communities. Sitting Republicans in Congress, such as Rep. Lauren Boebert, also espouse white Christian nationalist values and renounce the constitutionally-ordained separation of church and state.
Meanwhile, the Democratic Party has in many ways embraced a socialist-leaning agenda – and with it, policies that were once only supported by the far-left – and has entertained extreme causes like the ‘Defund the Police’ movement. This platform runs counter to the core American ideals of individualism and free markets, which are responsible for the country’s long-term economic success and global primacy.
Additionally, national Democrats have largely adopted an approach to governance that is centered on identity-politics and class-based political warfare, which has driven the country further apart by pitting Americans against one another.
The inflammatory rhetoric and harmful positions espoused by the radical left ‘Squad’ in Congress have also done the country a great disservice. Reps. Ilhan Omar and Rashida Tlaib have made numerous anti-Israel remarks, harming relations with our closest ally in the Middle East and the only democracy in the region, while Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez has called for the abolishment of the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
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It is telling that the only agreed-upon position among the far-left and far-right is support for withdrawing U.S. aid for Ukraine, which would existentially threaten global security and prop up autocratic regimes. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene and the far-right have long opposed American support for Ukraine, and this week, the Congressional Progressive Caucus sent a letter to President Biden requesting he pursue diplomacy with Russia (only to later retract it).
The democracy warning signs are flashing. If both parties continue to follow the path of those on the far-left and the far-right, we will remain divided into two Americas – demonizing those who differ with us politically, seeing our government paralyzed by gridlock, and increasingly vulnerable to our enemies.
This is a pivotal moment in American history, and it is incumbent on both Democrats and Republicans to make a concerted effort going forward to reject extremism, wherever it presents itself.
Douglas Schoen is a longtime Democratic political consultant.