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As for being fed up and considering a third party (especially one that was actually viable), happened for me a very long time ago OP. The other important question is whether any third party that gets dreamed up has a snowball's chance in h#@& to change anything for the better.
It does, if you get a Perot, a Howard Schultz, and yes, a Trump - a deep pocketed candidate that can tell the media to buzz off, and the special interest money as well.
I'm seriously thinking about starting a new political party. Thought I'd take the temperature in the room, well on this forum, to see how many here are fed up enough to consider a third party. And also, what would you most be looking for regarding the issues, whether strongly for or vehemently against that would sway you one way or another?
The border security issue (obstruction regarding building fencing), and non-action regarding illegals in the country is the straw that broke the camel's back for me, but there certainly are many other straws that have been building up over the decades.
More than anything I don't see either ruling party properly representing their constituents or doing what is best for the country in general.
Yes, I realize those of you who consider yourselves staunch Republicans and Democrats see third parties as potentially stealing votes from them, but that's a false argument. We need proper representation and drastic action needs to be taken. Protesting in the streets isn't going to work, trying to flood one party or another isn't going to work due to how corrupt the Big 2 parties have become.
I say it's past time to take action by starting a new party. The ones in existence aren't appealing enough to me or most others to get the job done.
Hopefully this will be a serious, civil thread. No need to criticize others for their opinions, I only want to get ideas of what others consider top issues and how much interest there might be for a new party.
Thanks.
You are hoping for a serious, civil thread on C-D Politics? Surely that was a tongue in cheek statement. I've never seen one yet, so this should be good.
The people that post on this forum in no way represent the average/typical American. Most Americans are what I like to describe as "practical centrists". Most Americans don't care about extreme right or left wing dogma - they want clear-minded representatives that are intelligent, thoughtful and will make decisions that will make them prosperous and safe in the long run.
Here's the rub. No matter how many parties you have, if you don't close the floodgates that permit $$$ to flow unimpeded from lobbyists, PACS and corporations (special interest groups), the corruption that you describe will continue. Since we have effectively enabled this corruption through changes to our laws, you've got a tough road ahead to craft a third party that will be immune.
Good luck with it though. At least you are thinking outside the box.
Don't forget the electors are chosen from within the two main parties, along with whatever electors can qualify in a third. Electors are already committed to their party from the first. Trying to get them to change is far harder than getting the voters for a third party.
Considering all the obstacles, as long as the electoral college exists, I simply cannot see how a 3rd party can ever get enough electors to win the Presidency.
Our Constitution is loaded very strongly toward a 2-party system, and because it is, so are all our state laws that govern the electoral college.
Given all this, the only way a 3rd party has ever risen and become so strong and unified as to replace one of the existing major parties is if one of the big one collapses in on itself first.
The collapse doesn't have to be complete for a 3rd party's rise; the Whigs still existed when Lincoln bailed out and joined the brand-new Republican Party, but the Whigs' unity had fallen apart and they had suffered a failed President and a major loss of state party strength.
Even after Lincoln's election, the Whigs were still strong enough to put up a candidate in the 1864 election when Lincoln won his second term. But within one or two more elections, the Whigs were all done in for good and disbanded.
The Whigs were the last successful 3rd party America has seen.
The only way to build strength in the electoral college is to have real strength in the direct elections first- the state, local, and Congressional elections. And that means winning over many high-population voting districts in the big red and blue states as a first step.
Ultimately, electing a President would require at least two or three big high-population state going solidly for the new 3rd party along with may districts from all over the nation.
I'm not saying it can't be done, but if you were to start building a party today, it would take some mighty attractive candidates and at least a decade of steady state and Congressional wins to become strong enough to mount a serious threat to the Republican and Democratic parties.
Anything less, and the party would become nothing but a Libertarian or Green wanna-be. Always there, but seldom counted for much of anything.
The White House can't be won without a huge base of support underneath a campaign that is solid, funded, and experienced and has a whale of a candidate who appeals to massive masses on all sides.
I wish I could rep you again, but at least I can give you a huge .
Lots of people seem to want a viable third party, but almost no one wants to acknowledge the fact that our entire electoral system is heavily skewed against one getting real traction. It's kind of ironic, really, as it's my understanding that the Founders didn't really want political parties to have so much influence, yet they created a system that practically guarantees their continued dominance.
I'm seriously thinking about starting a new political party. Thought I'd take the temperature in the room, well on this forum, to see how many here are fed up enough to consider a third party. And also, what would you most be looking for regarding the issues, whether strongly for or vehemently against that would sway you one way or another?
The border security issue (obstruction regarding building fencing), and non-action regarding illegals in the country is the straw that broke the camel's back for me, but there certainly are many other straws that have been building up over the decades.
More than anything I don't see either ruling party properly representing their constituents or doing what is best for the country in general.
Yes, I realize those of you who consider yourselves staunch Republicans and Democrats see third parties as potentially stealing votes from them, but that's a false argument. We need proper representation and drastic action needs to be taken. Protesting in the streets isn't going to work, trying to flood one party or another isn't going to work due to how corrupt the Big 2 parties have become.
I say it's past time to take action by starting a new party. The ones in existence aren't appealing enough to me or most others to get the job done.
Hopefully this will be a serious, civil thread. No need to criticize others for their opinions, I only want to get ideas of what others consider top issues and how much interest there might be for a new party.
Thanks.
I hear you, but it won't work as a practical matter: the electoral system churns out a two-person rivalry for each elected position, which turns into a two-party rivalry. Even if one party were to fade away (e.g. federalists, whigs) the surviving party would split in two at the next election.
In any case, as you know, it's only a show by now, and both "parties" and their public faces are tools of more powerful people who no longer consider a large swathe of US citizenry useful to them; their "constituents" are spread out further afield than US soil and US policies and laws reflect that.
The only way a viable third-party candidate could emerge would be to change the electoral system in the sense of proportional representation.
Still, I don't think it would make much difference in actual policy: one electoral cycle would not be enough to affect significant lasting change, and they would be sucked in on the second or third electoral cycle.
A much more likely catalyst for change would be if one faction were to seize a monopoly of power, regardless of electoral system. But, in quick time, very few would actually like the results.
Too many examples in history to cite.
As it stands, Trump is the closest thing to third party since Ross Perot (giant sucking sound) and any current policies aimed at restoring political and economic integrity on US soil will be gladly reversed by members of both parties, and their overlords, in two (or possibly six) years.
The best bet for independent-minded voters is to continue to play the two-party system for what it's worth, aiming at beautiful, beautiful gridlock as designed by the Constitution, which enables a little breathing room for at least a while longer, until we are all boiled and asphyxiated or in any case meet our inevitable demise.
We couldn't have asked for a better third party candidate than Trump.
But no third party would be needed if the Rs were to show the Romneys and Kasiches the door and rally around the best leader they have had in many decades.
They were history before Trump threw them the life preserver they didn't deserve. And they will be for certain once the Trump era ends if they fail to profoundly change and follow his lead into the future. They will have to or die.
Either way, I don't see a 3-party scenario lasting very long. Considering the madness were seeing from the Dems, if the Rs play their cards right we could be down to one party before long.
I'm so fed up that had Trump, who I think is a lousy POTUS, run third party in 2016 I would have voted for him if he had a good chance of smacking down both major parties.
Well, here comes a much better choice than Trump in the form of the Starbucks former CEO but he'll be lucky to survive the "character assassination" attempts that have already started.
If you'd like to see them, just go to CNN, they're been trying to shank Beto too with hit pieces.....after almost 30 years I'm starting to look for a replacement for CNN as my primary news source, it's gotten that bad.
I tried to give them the benefit of the doubt with the debate cheating scandal that they were lax and Donna Brazille acted mostly independently. What I'm seeing now is an active attempt that has to be coming down from management to help pick the next democratic nominee rather than report.
Not at this time. The orange maniac is so unfit and represents such an existential threat to the Republic, that I have to vote D to make sure he is gone in 2020 and sanity restored to our government. I invite all clear minded free thinking people to do the same.
Clear minded free thinking people know there is no sanity to our government. He increased federal spending and got us further into debt. We're still involved in never ending wars in the Middle East which make us less safe. How is he that much different than the last President. Oh that's right, he's white.
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