LIFE (AND DEATH) OF THE PARTY

KENNETT, Mo. -- It may be too early and history too delayed to reach a definitive conclusion, but it appears that the political topography of the nation's bellwether state is changing, with the temptation of adding the adverb "permanently."

Yes, Missouri, there is really and truly a possibility that our state is switching political sides, and while the game is still too early to call, there is the evidence that all of the truths once put forth about our state's political climate are up for a closer inspection, even revision.

The subject seems to have been pretty well ignored thus far, but voting returns from last November's election point to some surprising results which in previous decades would be treated as a once-in-a-lifetime apostasy, a renunciation, if you will, of the traditionally political regions of the state and a resurgence of new ideology in an area thought to be opposed to little or no change of belief and dogma.

Oh, it's not that the Show Me State lost its long-standing claim to be the bellwether state when it come to national politics and outcomes of state political races. Our voters narrowly gave their 11 electoral votes to the winner, and so we remained in the win column. George W. Bush beat the Democratic candidate in every county north of the Missouri River except Buchanan, Clay, Ray and Boone, which, it can be argued, are less rural than others.

This nearly total sweep of the northern half of the state was virtually unknown in the last-century politics, particularly when races were relatively close and contested. One wonders what has happened in Northwest Missouri, a traditional Democratic area that until recent decades refused to send anyone but a Democrat to Congress.

Further evidence is found in St. Louis County, once viewed as the bastion of conservative Republicans and the home fiefdom of Bus King, Tom Curtis and other fiercely staunch party members.

And who carried this one-time GOP outpost last November?

None other than that liberal, left-leaning environmentalist know as Al Gore.

Heresy, no less.

Gore wouldn't have carried Missouri even if Ralph Nader hadn't been on the ticket, which says volumes about his candidacy.

In the Missouri Bootheel, where the language is a happy mixture from Mississippi, Arkansas and Tennessee and the local religion has long been antebellum democracy, only three counties turned in pluralities for the party's candidate. The rest went to the Republican standard-bearer, and while they were at it, the area's voters sent a majority of George W. Bush's representatives and senators to Jefferson City. How about that for a change with a capital C?

In November's race between incumbent John Ashcroft and the deceased candidate for U.S. senator, Mel Carnahan, the Republican won pluralities in 33 counties of the state's 44 counties north of the Missouri and 55 of the 70 counties south of the river.

All of these changes and numerous others reflect a political realignment that was felt in Jefferson City where Republicans took control of the state Senate for the first time in half a century. One of the long-lasting heritages of Republicanism in our state Capitol has been adjusting to minority-party office space no larger than a phone booth and virtually total anonymity as far as the House speaker and Senate president pro tem were concerned. Republicans were often treated by the majority party as little more than apprentice janitors whose presence was required only by constitution.

What does all this change some would call it a revolution -- within Missouri mean for the rest of the country?

Glad you asked.

Take a look at what has been happening for two decades south of the Mason-Dixon.

Rank-and-file, working-class Democrats have bolted their traditional party and signed on as Republicans, and this can be traced to a number of issues, ranging from civil rights and affirmative action to abortion to gun control and the favorite GOP mantra, whether valid or not, calling for less and not more government.

Where they have gained, Democrats have joyfully received unhappy Republicans who crossed the line over cultural issues, particularly abortion rights, as well as environmental concerns and some social issues.

Although followers of Jefferson have long blasted the wealthy, who in political parlance are invariably characterized as selfish, the party may soon have to eat its words and welcome concerned millionaires, even billionaires who, believe it or not, have sometimes been known to vote their conscience rather than their pocketbook.

Fortunately for the nation as a whole, leadership and rank and file both have rejected the extreme elements within their parties, and as a result the nation is spared a great amount of acrimony that is anything but beneficial to the union. Republicans were unwilling to turn their party over to the Pat Buchanans and Democrats signaled their distaste for the extremism proffered by the Naderites. Both parties saved the majority of their membership considerable grief and discord by adhering to mainstream views, even as they risked criticism of being mere carbon copies by the extremists in their midst.

What this transference of loyalty means in the long run to Missouri and the other independent pluralities that steer the national course remains to be seen.

I believe it is a healthy trend if only because the traditional parties offer reasonable alternatives which over time have proved to be the most valid reason for their existence. Steering from the radical while establishing a political, socio-economic median is an essential component for a nation and a state such as ours, regardless of which party temporarily holds a majority.

This is the genius our forefathers envisioned when they gave us a republic.

~Jack Stapleton is the editor of Missouri News and Editorial Service.