Election 2016 Sees Major Upheaval in Two-Party System

From Cathleen Decker, at LAT, "Strong Sanders and Trump runs reflect and inspire upheaval in Democratic and Republican parties":

Beyond the contentious backbiting of the presidential contest, the nation's major political parties are undergoing a dramatic and potentially long-lasting cultural shift.

Both of the outsider challengers — Donald Trump and Bernie Sanders — are campaigning in part against the parties they hope to lead. Both have gained much of their success from confounding what has been mainstream party thought for decades.

As the nominating battles move into their final phase, Sanders has yanked his party leftward — or, at a minimum, greatly hastened a change that was already underway. Trump has pushed against the Republican Party on issues as small as delegate selection and as large as foreign policy and brought with him ground troops to enforce his views. The second-place Republican, Texas Sen. Ted Cruz, has made a career of defying Republican leaders, even if Trump is now attacking him as part of the establishment.

The redefinition is occurring on a political landscape shaking from the continued aftershocks of the 2008 economic collapse. That territory has proved inhospitable, to different degrees, to more traditional politicians like Hillary Clinton and Ohio Gov. John Kasich, extending her nomination battle and blunting his candidacy.

"All things being equal, if you'd showed up from Mars you would think Hillary Clinton would have this wrapped up," said Lee Miringoff, a pollster at Marist College with long experience in presidential politics. "And you would have thought Kasich on paper would be stronger. But he's 1 for 30, and that was Ohio."

The lasting effect of the Great Recession is not the only force that has propelled the parties' movement. So, too, has the changing face of America. Among Democrats, a more youthful electorate has contributed to the success of Sanders' effort; among Republicans, blue-collar whites who in many cases feel threatened by the rise of other groups have powered Trump's campaign.

Tellingly, the outsider candidacies are in some cases sounding similar themes. Both Trump and Sanders, coming at it from opposite ideological sides, have pressed to reverse trade deals they say have gutted American manufacturing jobs. Both have called for other countries to begin paying more for the NATO military alliance. Both have criticized their respective parties for the way delegates, who will determine the nominations, are selected.

The lasting effect of the Great Recession is not the only force that has propelled the parties' movement. So, too, has the changing face of America. Among Democrats, a more youthful electorate has contributed to the success of Sanders' effort; among Republicans, blue-collar whites who in many cases feel threatened by the rise of other groups have powered Trump's campaign.

Tellingly, the outsider candidacies are in some cases sounding similar themes. Both Trump and Sanders, coming at it from opposite ideological sides, have pressed to reverse trade deals they say have gutted American manufacturing jobs. Both have called for other countries to begin paying more for the NATO military alliance. Both have criticized their respective parties for the way delegates, who will determine the nominations, are selected...

Notice that all of this upheaval does not augur a party realignment, but is perhaps a trend toward the deepening of decades-old tendencies toward partisan dealignment. It's really interesting.

More.