Taranto

"What we see here is one of the glories of the two-party system: its moderating effect on political leaders. If America had a parliamentary system, we would most likely have a left-wing fringe party that could exercise leverage over the Democrats, demanding policy concessions as the price for joining a governing coalition. Instead, the fringe left is forced to support the Democrats and to endure the diminution of its own influence as the price for Democratic success."