Third Parties in U.S.A.

[Rolling Thunder]

Work towards the common good of the state. If you're at war, maybe not protesting your soldiers and hoping they die... If you're in a financial crisis maybe not and moan about your entitlements. Being in good taste. Sacrifice a little.

You know, patriotism.

1. Funny, the Germans always seem to manage. And the Swedes. The French even. Not so much the mickey mouse countries, but the Big three can usually put together a government.
2. Ah, patriotism. So, where do we draw the line. Is patriotism merely supporting the soldiers? Or is it supporting the war? Is it patriotic to support the actions of a government clearly intended at the enrichment of the already-wealthy at the expense of the working man, the unemployed and the disabled?

[Kitsunegari]

Why can't a third party ever gather sufficient support to take a substantial amount of seats in the Congress?

$$$. There were major third parties in US history but they were usually based on one or two issues and didn't last long. When one of the two main parties collapsed its former members usually went 75% to a new party and 25% to opposing party.

[Justice and Mercy]

Having a single political party is absolutely pointless. Having two allows the two dominant trends facing a culture to have faces and names, so that one can be chosen.

An advantage of the American system over many European ones (for example) is that you vote for candidates, not for parties.

[Col. Tartleton]

Having a single political party is absolutely pointless. Having two allows the two dominant trends facing a culture to have faces and names, so that one can be chosen.

An advantage of the American system over many European ones (for example) is that you vote for candidates, not for parties.

Which is why I think a one party party-less system isn't that crazy. We don't vote for party. We vote for the (wo)man. Two parties isn't bad or good. Parties are the most intellectually lazy expectation. People can create coalitions on their issues, but it shouldn't be parties.

I'm a Republican, vote for me?
No.
I'm a Democrat, vote for me?
No.
I'm for the Green Party...
Go to hell you hippie!

I don't see a 3 party system being useful though, which is what this is about.

[TheSutekh]

A third or a fourth party system in the U.S.A. would force the congress into making decisions out of consensus or make no decisions at all (which is not a bad thing all the time). Currently, it's all black and white. New parties could bring in different perspectives to issues and raise new issues. Instead of being either blue or red, people could express themselves more accurately.

[muller227]

The american political sytem is geared too the election of our President. Everything else flows from our desire for a king. Town council canditates mirror rhetoric at the national level. Rhetoric most of them barely understand. We are possibly the dumbest electorate in the industrialized world, not genetically stupid but politically. Everyone is looking for our Cowboy King. 3rd and 4th parties lack the ability too do anything in an all or nothing system which is what we have.

[Thrillology]

"Third parties take away votes from the Republican party."

I agree with that quote. The third parties are usually a lot like Republicans.

[Condottiere 40K]

Poor Ross Perot.

[Thrillology]

I'm for the Green Party...
Go to hell you hippie!

I don't see a 3 party system being useful though, which is what this is about.

That was funny about the Green Party. lol.

Well, I guess they have the third party for check and balances or so that we don't seem very restricted on our options. But yeah... if they wanted power, it would have to be a party that breaks from either the Republican or Democrat party. But for that to happen, the party would have to be very unpopular. They would essentially have to have a situation like the situation the Federalists had in early U.S.A.