A Third Political Party in America

Many have wanted a third party in America for various reasons. It would seem the Tea Party is emerging as just that. With its own convention, platform and candidates.

It may upset the traditional Dem-Rep monopoly on politics in America. Time will tell.

http://www.myteapartyconvention.com/Home_Page.html

[tater]

Decent sized third parties have a descriptor: spoiler.

That's it. To the extent the TP is conservative (smaller, less intrusive federal government, they standard since Washington and Jefferson), they will simply cause democratic victory. Democrat supermajorites can result in things getting so broken they cannot be fixed (same can happen in the other direction).

A large 3d party IMHO means 1-party rule on the side most against the 3d party.

[AVGWarhawk]

Decent sized third parties have a descriptor: spoiler.

Independents have done this for a long time.

[Ducimus]

I never did like the tea party.


I'd be all about the America First party, but the problem is, they want to ramrod Jesus down everyone's throats, and tell women what they can't do to their own bodies.
http://www.americafirstparty.org/docs/principles.shtml

I can live with the pro life stance, but the praise Jesus bit would have to go to gain my support.

[Sailor Steve]

Given the history of parties in this country, it will either die out or replace one of the others. We don't seem to be able to maintain more than two.

The founders claimed they didn't want parties at all. It took them less than twenty years to have two in place.

[tater]

I actually think that anything in law that recognizes or aids parties should be abolished.

Take primaries, for example.

A party is simply a "club," IMHO. How a party choses who will represent it is an internal matter to the party, and as far as I'm concerned should be entirely outside ANY government involvement. That means no polling places run by the State, etc. The entirety of the cost should be set/paid by the parties themselves, and whatever means they chose to elect a candidate... up to them. That includes who gets to vote. State laws that allow people to vote in a primary that are not party members? No, not unless the party wishes this to be the case.

[Sailor Steve]

I'd call that a good start.

There shouldn't be ANY political parties.

[the_tyrant]

Originally Posted by Rilder

There shouldn't be ANY political parties.

and then what?
Absolute monarchy?
Anarchy?

[tater]

Originally Posted by Rilder

There shouldn't be ANY political parties.

So you'd ban 2 people standing around agreeing about anything political?

[Platapus]

Originally Posted by Rilder

There shouldn't be ANY political parties.

"Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances."

We may hate political parties, but there is little we can do about them.

Abolish the Republican Party and like minded people will form another group and call it something else. The result? No change.

The solution is not to abolish political parties but to educate the citizens to not rely on them or give them power.

The problem is that many citizens are quite happy being told what to think and how to vote by their respective political party.

[Stealth Hunter]

Originally Posted by the_tyrant

and then what?
Absolute monarchy?
Anarchy?

Be a little more overly-dramatic, why don't you.

Originally Posted by tater

So you'd ban 2 people standing around agreeing about anything political?

That's not the same as sophisticatedly organizing yourself into a political clique that actively serves in the government of not only each and every state, but ultimately the entire country, with an outlined agenda- protecting and serving its own interests.

Originally Posted by Platapus

The solution is not to abolish political parties but to educate the citizens to not rely on them or give them power.

The problem is that many citizens are quite happy being told what to think and how to vote by their respective political party.

With many more citizens being happy to vote for whatever candidate best represents their own personal interests. The costs of a bad vote are borne by the public at large, and the chance of an individual casting the deciding vote is, unfortunately, tiny. People will vote for what makes them feel good and what benefits them. Honestly, they couldn't care less about much else. Though many are ignorant and irrational, many are self-serving and conniving.

But as far as the OP is concerned, I favor Washington's views on political parties:

"They serve to organize faction, to give it an artificial and extraordinary force; to put, in the place of the delegated will of the nation, the will of a party, often a small but artful and enterprising minority of the community; and, according to the alternate triumphs of different parties, to make the public administration the mirror of the ill-concerted and incongruous projects of faction, rather than the organ of consistent and wholesome plans digested by common counsels, and modified by mutual interests."

His words were quite prophetic, looking at the current situation we find ourselves in (and have found ourselves in the past 20-25 years or so). Moreover, the problem extends not only to the parties themselves, but the the political system. It is made too much like a profession and not like what it should be: a public service. It should be treated no different than jury duty, and that goes not only for the Congress and Legislative Branch, but for the Supreme Court and Judicial Branch, and the White House and Executive Branch.

Ultimately, they do more harm than good by dividing not only people, but the framework that our country is supposed to be running off of. And clearly, as I said earlier, this has been the case in recent times. Getting rid of the current ones won't do anything. New ones will just appear. As has been before in the past, so shall be in the future. Unless we disband them altogether. Either that, or we change our system.

[the_tyrant]

Originally Posted by Stealth Hunter

Be a little more overly-dramatic, why don't you.

Almost every form of government has political parties
Hitler is a Nazi, Kim Jiong Il is a commie
I really can't think of a type of government except absolute monarchy and anarchy that doesn't have political parties

edit: i can think of one more, the republics of ancient greece didn't have parties

[Stealth Hunter]

Originally Posted by the_tyrant

Almost every form of government has political parties
Hitler is a Nazi, Kim Jiong Il is a commie
I really can't think of a type of government except absolute monarchy and anarchy that doesn't have political parties

edit: i can think of one more, the republics of ancient greece didn't have parties

Our own country didn't have any political parties until 1794, with the founded establishment of the Federalists. And then, we had the Anti-Federalists spring into existence. I assume you can figure what their concerns revolved around therein...

Little has changed in tone since then. What one party says, the other opposes. Back and forth and back and forth.

[Penguin]

Originally Posted by tater

I actually think that anything in law that recognizes or aids parties should be abolished.

Take primaries, for example.

A party is simply a "club," IMHO. How a party choses who will represent it is an internal matter to the party, and as far as I'm concerned should be entirely outside ANY government involvement. That means no polling places run by the State, etc. The entirety of the cost should be set/paid by the parties themselves, and whatever means they chose to elect a candidate... up to them. That includes who gets to vote. State laws that allow people to vote in a primary that are not party members? No, not unless the party wishes this to be the case.

100% agreed!
Very interesting, didn't know that the government or states subside primaries! However I was under the assumption that the parties in each state can choose wheather to allow non-party-members to vote on the primaries.

In Germany the party elections are a more or less internal matter which happen in private or rented rooms (halls). BUT - at least in the federal and european parliament elections - every party gets money for each vote they get - about 70 eurocent (which are 573$ US )