While the outcomes of the presidential nomination races are sure to gain the lion’s share of the attention in 2024, the spring is certain to include some interesting intra-party challenges. Some of the features of modern politics have become the battles over ideological purity, loyalty to party agenda, the sin of not supporting party leaders and disappointment on the part of voters that progress on issues has been slow.
This was not always the case. There was an era when elected leaders pursued agendas that were not explicitly approved by their party, when it was considered acceptable to create bipartisan legislation, when officials worked without fear of being ‘primaried’ for not supporting what other members of their party believed and when party members could challenge an incumbent without it being part of a larger war — often for the direction and soul of the party.
