Democrats are united on their vision of a multi-ethnic liberal democracy which uses the power of the state to promote economic growth, increased equality, and justice for historically oppressed groups. The divisions among them relate, not to the vision, but to their perceived ability to push changes past the voters and through the system. That’s why I have always identified the blue team factions as “fundis” and “realos.”
The GOP, on the other hand, contains supporters of wildly different visions for America. CLs want as small a state as possible in order to promote negative forms of “freedom” and increased economic growth; they look forward to a glorious libertarian future, not the past. Reactionaries, on the other hand, want a robust state to bring back the economy and the society of the 1950s. CLs lionize superstar businessmen and dream of Galt’s Gulch; Reactionaries are suspicious of billionaires and clamor for tariffs and deportations to recreate, in their eyes, the Godly Society.
The Democrats have historically been successful in getting large parts of their agenda through the system because progressives prefer half a loaf to nothing. The first Trump term, on the other hand, was legislatively sterile because Republicans are only united on what they dislike, tax cuts being the exception that proves the rule. The 38 CL votes against yesterday’s version of the CR are evidence that the divisions persist. As a result, Trump 2.0 will probably resemble the first term with regard to the lack of legislation; executive actions, of course, are another matter.