It should also be noted that many of these urban machines, while led by mostly Catholics, were not always inclusive of other Catholics. Machines existed by sharing the “spoils” with no larger of a group than needed to stay in power, maximinzing the “spolis” for the in-group. In Massachusetts, the Irish ran the regular organization and the Italians were on the outs. Daley’s Chicago organization was opposed by the large and Catholic Polish-American community. In New Jersey and parts of Pennsylvania, the regular organization was dominated by the Building Trades with the Industrial Unions cut out. In some eastern textile towns, it was the Italians and Jews in charge, against the Slavs.

Since this is a matter of natural law rather than reveled doctrine, is not the same true for non-Catholics?

Also one can learn from the “unintended consequences” that drove people to change the commission. While some aggressive feminists did set out to install their supporters into the party leadership, they were only successful because they were joined by others fiercely opposed to the Vietnam War but who also happened to be feminists. If one can rally a coalition of the like-minded around one big issue, the other issues on which they agree will be advanced as well.

Hence the Iraq War debacle has helped energize the far left, but has boosted their other issues as well by promoting further cooperation and contacts between the partisans.