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Look how Hillary started to cave in order to appease the Bernie Sanders supporters. A third party doesn't need to suddenly become a first tier option, but with the right level of support and traction can make changes. Johnson is socially liberal and economically conservative and if you look at the Democrats and Republicans this is a more middle of the road approach that can help reel in both sides without actually being part of those parties.
In talking with friends and neighbors, I am detecting an increasing level of support for Johnson. So I had a look at his web sit and at a couple of other sites and Johnson is much closer to my own politics than either Trump or Clinton. Not everything, obviously, but enough to make me think seriously about voting for him.
And a strong vote for Johnson is needed to send a powerful message to both the Democrats and the Republicans who have taken voters for granted for far too long.
It seems you're kinda making my point here. Yes Clinton started to cave. But Sanders is working from within the party. If he were a member of, shall we say, the communist party of the USA, he would've been summarily dismissed as a third party wannabe, never to be heard from again.
Johnson needs to align himself with one party, or the other, get elected to something, and start working his own agenda, and making inroads from within.
Attempting to play to both parties at the same time, as you suggest in your final sentence above, will get him nowhere.
CN
Nope, not "making your point" as my only point is that in the national conversation, if you have a much cooler head that can help bridge the huge gap between the two parties, I think we end up with better outcomes. The D and R candidates will both have to pander to pull some of the 3rd party votes they fear they will be giving up.
Like I said before, I respect your opinion, but strongly disagree.
I think the country can survive 4 years from either of these choices but I have no doubt the winner will select a minimum of 2 justices. Those choices will have long lasting ramifications for the direction of this country. I'm a moderate and I am good with Merrick Garland being on the court. The GOP has taken a dangerous chance by refusing to even discuss him. By November they will see what a huge mistake this was. I live in Texas so my vote means little. Because of the certain changes in the court.... it is not a stretch to say this election is very very important.
Nope, not "making your point" as my only point is that in the national conversation, if you have a much cooler head that can help bridge the huge gap between the two parties, I think we end up with better outcomes. The D and R candidates will both have to pander to pull some of the 3rd party votes they fear they will be giving up.
Like I said before, I respect your opinion, but strongly disagree.
The run up to the election is the national conversation. But a third voice cannot be heard over the other two, if the $$ aren't there to amplify said voice.
How do you get the money? Get a loud enough voice to get to 5%, good luck. The two monoliths control enough $$ that that gap will never be breached, and that bridge, never built. Unless, the media softens up enough to allow a third voice into the conversation. There's that $$ issue again. Until, and unless the money can be removed from the election process, everything will remain the same.
Yes, better outcomes could be had, but the system will NOT allow it. Hearts and minds are bought with dollars and cents in 2016. It's all that matters to most. Sad but true.
The run up to the election is the national conversation. But a third voice cannot be heard over the other two, if the $$ aren't there to amplify said voice.
How do you get the money? Get a loud enough voice to get to 5%, good luck. The two monoliths control enough $$ that that gap will never be breached, and that bridge, never built. Unless, the media softens up enough to allow a third voice into the conversation. There's that $$ issue again. Until, and unless the money can be removed from the election process, everything will remain the same.
Yes, better outcomes could be had, but the system will NOT allow it. Hearts and minds are bought with dollars and cents in 2016. It's all that matters to most. Sad but true.
CN
I dont think its "luck" to get to 5%. They got 1% in 2012 when both parties were pretty comfortable with their candidates. Right now Johnson has been polling between 5-12% from polls I've seen. Its very reasonable to assume they get there. And you are right, you don't hear the voice much right now, which is my point. Get the 5% this year to get money to be heard in 2020, maybe even get the 15% in polls to get included in debates. Those are the incremental ways to make the change I'm looking for.
The media doesn't completely control the 3rd party, the biggest hurdle is the Commission on Presidential Debates, and again, getting to a 15% average on the larger polls gets him included. Its close now and in terms of the timeline its still relatively early.
The media doesn't completely control the 3rd party, the biggest hurdle is the Commission on Presidential Debates, and again, getting to a 15% average on the larger polls gets him included. Its close now and in terms of the timeline its still relatively early.
The media doesn't control any party. The media is controlled by the parties, mostly the left.
15% gets an outsider "included".......until it doesn't anymore. When the monoliths are threated, rules have a way of being changed, the goal posts moved. You had a failed attempt at that as an example, just yesterday at the RNC. All it takes is a perceived threat to the status quo, and money is suddenly flowing, to rally the troops, even within their own party.
I'd love to see a viable third party choice. I think we only disagree on how it's going to be possible to get one. In the meantime, there's this issue of what to do this November.
The media doesn't control any party. The media is controlled by the parties, mostly the left.
15% gets an outsider "included".......until it doesn't anymore. When the monoliths are threated, rules have a way of being changed, the goal posts moved. You had a failed attempt at that as an example, just yesterday at the RNC. All it takes is a perceived threat to the status quo, and money is suddenly flowing, to rally the troops, even within their own party.
I'd love to see a viable third party choice. I think we only disagree on how it's going to be possible to get one. In the meantime, there's this issue of what to do this November.
CN
Not what I meant, sloppy typing. I meant they don't control their exposure for the debates.
I have absolutely no issue with what to do in November. I'll be voting for Johnson with no regrets, and with hope that its a small amount of traction that can be leveraged over the rest of my lifetime and beyond.
I'm voting for Johnson. I am socially liberal and economical conservative as well and I agree with most of his political positions. I also admire how her turned the economy of New Mexico around.
I don't care if someone thinks I'm throwing away my vote. I am voting what I believe and with my conscience. I won't be playing political games with my vote.
I think the country can survive 4 years from either of these choices but I have no doubt the winner will select a minimum of 2 justices. Those choices will have long lasting ramifications for the direction of this country.
If the fundamental nature of the Court were not in play I would vote for a third party candidate, but it is so I have little choice other than to vote for Clinton... I just can't vote for Trump under any circumstance that I can think of and I write that despite understanding Hillary's Wall St. ties, dish water picks for VP, the email scandal or the need to check off another item on the resume.
It is a pathetic set of choices for voters in November.
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