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THE VIEW FROM HERE - In 1980, approximately 41% of voters registered as Democrats, while 51% identified as Republicans, and about 8% were independents or no party affiliation.
In 2024, 34% were registered Democrats, 39% of voters registered Republicans, and 24% registered as independents or affiliated with no party. Trump won both the Electoral College and the Popular vote. The GOP also controlled the House and the Senate.
As America has become increasingly polarized, both parties have lost voters to the Center, (Independents, No party). The voters’ locus of blame shifts from Dem (2016), to GOP (2020), and back to Dem (2024). When the voters blame a party, it loses the election. Waiting for an election to let a party know that it has veered way off course into Extremism is NOW – the election is too late.
The Center can act as the ballast to keep America on an even keel only when it is heavy enough to counter-balance the extremist MAGA and Woke far enough in advance of an election for the parties to readjust their platforms towards the Center. As Trump becomes increasingly unhinged and his mental state throws his good policies to the dogs, the Dems are clearly opting to make anti-Semitism a key part of its 2026 campaign strategy. The blame for the increasing polarization by both GOP and Dem is that not enough moderate GOP and moderate Dem are de-registering to become declared Centrists.
What Mentality Keeps Moderate GOP Support for Trump and Moderate Dem Support for anti-Semitism?
Each party has some decent goals, but both have atrocious objectives. For Trump, his international policy (except Ukraine) has been wise. Even NATO leaders admit that Europe has failed to pay their fair share of NATO budget, but more significantly, by keep NATO militarily unprepared, they have made their countries vulnerable to Putin’s imperialism. Trump’s backing up his sane policy on Iran by bombing Iran’s nuke sites is more than a breath of fresh air compared to West’s weak sister approach to Iran. In fact, the UN actually voted to reimpose sanctions on Iran for its insistence on reviving its nuclear program. While Trump’s policy on Israel and the absolute need to eradicate Hamas to protect Western civilization wavers each time his developer buddy Witkoff gets involved, Trump seems to understand the stakes. Monday, September 29, 2025 may prove to be Trump’s backsliding into Wikoff’s idiocy that Hamas need not surrender, but Israel should unilaterally withdraw. The absurd claim that the West will be able to stop Hamas from becoming the government of both Gaza and the West Bank is imbecilic beyond compare. Until Trump, or some other fool, came up with the 21 Point Peace Plan, Trump’s Israel policy was superb.
On the downside, Trump’s non-stop attack on the US Constitution poses the gravest danger to the Republic in our entire history. Thanks to his listening to Stephen Miller, America’s version of Joseph Goebbles, and deceased Charlie Kirk, founder of Turning Point USA, Trump’s immigrant policy went from expelling the worst of the worst of the criminals to a racist attack on law abiding residents. Had Trump wisely stopped with the criminals, he could have been a winner. Instead, he listened to Miller and Kirk. As a result Trump is doing his imitation of King George III by quartering troops in our cities. The Third Amendment states: “No Soldier shall, in time of peace be quartered in any house, without the consent of the Owner, nor in time of war, but in a manner to be prescribed by law.” This is NOT an area where Trump should ignore the spirit in favor of a literal meaning of “house.”
Trump’s sending US troops to American cities, against the will of the citizens, is psychologically the same as the British’s stationing troops in our homes. Any logical person recognizes that Trump’s plan to is to preposition US troops in Dem cities so that at Pig Hegseth’s command they will confiscate the 2026 ballots boxes and declare that the GOP won huge majorities in the House and Senate. Can you spell Civil War?
No matter how anti-Semitic the Dems become, they count on winning. Look at Zohran Mamdani in NYC; a declared anti-Semite. Right now, the Dems pretend that Mamdani is not anti-Semitic even though he supports the extermination of Jews everywhere. That is one meaning of Globalize the Intifada; the other is exterminate all Christians and non-Muslims in the world. The dems are burying the heads deeply in the sands and ignore that this same death cult, of which Hamas is only a part, not only has murdered thousands of Jews but also thousands of Christians and hundreds of thousands of Muslims who reject Mamdani’s extreme form of Islam. Arab countries have outlawed the Muslim Brotherhood which is the reason they will not take in Gazans.
By remaining registered as GOP or as Dem, voters are supporting the most vile policies of their party. In 2010, how many GOP would support stationing US troops in our city streets in order to police US citizens? In 2020, how many Americans would have approved President Biden’s spreading Blood Libels against Jews, and thereby broadcast to the world the 100% false claims that Israel was starving Gazans and committing genocide?
There is no way a voter can remain registered with GOP or Dem without supporting some of the most vile policies America has seen since the Civil War. Don’t say, “Oh, I do not like that policy, but the other side is worse.” No one is asking that you register in the other party. Each voter’s power rests solely in his de-registering from his own party. Each party’s losing substantial voters now is the only thing which can temper the extremism. Each day that one remains a registered GOP or Dem is one more day that the MAGA and Wokers will believe that you support them.
The blame for polarization has shifted to the alleged Centrists who refuse to de-register from their party.
(Richard Lee Abrams is a Los Angeles-based attorney, author, and political commentator. A long-time contributor to CityWatchLA, he is known for his incisive critiques of City Hall and judicial corruption, as well as his analysis of political and constitutional issues. Abrams blends legal insight with historical and philosophical depth to challenge conventional narratives. A passionate defender of civic integrity and transparency, he aims to expose misuse of power and advocate for systemic reform in local government. You may email him at [email protected]. The opinions expressed are those of the author and not necessarily of CityWatchLA.com.)
