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Fastest Route To A Viable Third party?

Dragonfly

Dragonfly

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What's the fastest route "we" can take to having a viable third party?

Will electing Trump do it? Will electing Clinton do it?

Will it take something else? Will it ever happen in your lifetime?

Do the Dems/Reps have such a stranglehold on the system in general that it'll never happen?

If this years election cycle can't spawn something, what will it take?
 
Dragonfly said:
What's the fastest route "we" can take to having a viable third party?

Will electing Trump do it? Will electing Clinton do it?

Will it take something else? Will it ever happen in your lifetime?

Do the Dems/Reps have such a stranglehold on the system in general that it'll never happen?

If this years election cycle can't spawn something, what will it take?
Click to expand...
Nothing. The idea is to reform the existing parties.
 
Dragonfly said:
What's the fastest route "we" can take to having a viable third party?

Will electing Trump do it? Will electing Clinton do it?

Will it take something else? Will it ever happen in your lifetime?

Do the Dems/Reps have such a stranglehold on the system in general that it'll never happen?

If this years election cycle can't spawn something, what will it take?
Click to expand...

For a good third party to come into enough power to be relevant we need a continuation of this...

gallup-party(6).jpg

It is going to take time but it is also going to take disgust with both parties to the point that a 3rd party forms, if for no other reason than to be called "the party that is not 'D or 'R."
 
OrphanSlug said:
It is going to take time but it is also going to take disgust with both parties to the point that a 3rd party forms, if for no other reason than to be called "the party that is not 'D or 'R."
Click to expand...

Shouldn't we already be there then?

Isn't this year's circus the definitive year? Or do we actually have to get worse to get there?
 
Dragonfly said:
Shouldn't we already be there then?

Isn't this year's circus the definitive year? Or do we actually have to get worse to get there?
Click to expand...

I do agree that this is an election season that adds to the discussion, but it may take several to convince the majority of the population that enough is enough.
 
Dragonfly said:
Shouldn't we already be there then?

Isn't this year's circus the definitive year? Or do we actually have to get worse to get there?
Click to expand...

People are afraid of change and the unknown. They feel more comfortable going with what they know even if what they know sucks.
 
Groogrux said:
People are afraid of change and the unknown. They feel more comfortable going with what they know even if what they know sucks.
Click to expand...

So we have to go even further into the sewer before people will decide enough is enough??? That's truly frightening.
 
Dragonfly said:
So we have to go even further into the sewer before people will decide enough is enough??? That's truly frightening.
Click to expand...

Apparently so. I get that Gary Johnson isn't a strong candidate for the POTUS. But it's mind-boggling how low his numbers are when you consider the alternatives.
 
Groogrux said:
Apparently so. I get that Gary Johnson isn't a strong candidate for the POTUS. But it's mind-boggling how low his numbers are when you consider the alternatives.
Click to expand...

Gary Johnson is an extremely WEAK candidate, but is still leaps and bounds above C & T .
 
OrphanSlug said:
For a good third party to come into enough power to be relevant we need a continuation of this...

View attachment 67208868

It is going to take time but it is also going to take disgust with both parties to the point that a 3rd party forms, if for no other reason than to be called "the party that is not 'D or 'R."
Click to expand...

Even if you get a 3rd party one of them will be short lived as it will revert back into 2 parties even if they aren't D or R.
 
Crovax said:
Even if you get a 3rd party one of them will be short lived as it will revert back into 2 parties even if they aren't D or R.
Click to expand...

Why do you think that? Americans can't handle more than two options?
 
Look at some of these facts:

Primary turnout for 2016 high but not quite a record | Pew Research Center

More than 57.6 million people, or 28.5% of estimated eligible voters, voted in the Republican and Democratic presidential primaries that all but wrapped up Tuesday – close to but not quite at the record participation level set in 2008.
Click to expand...

That's astonishing. Almost a record, yet still under 30%.

The GOP did indeed have the highest primary turnout since at least 1980, according to our analysis – 14.8%, compared with 11% in 2008 and 9.8% in 2012. But turnout fell off markedly after Donald Trump won the May 3 Indiana primary and his two main rivals dropped out of the race.
Click to expand...

Only 14% of registered republicans voted in primaries???? And that was HIGHEST turnout in over 35 years? :shock:

The overall Democratic turnout of 14.4% was well below the record 19.5% in 2008, but it was still the second-highest since 1988’s primary season.
Click to expand...

It's astonishing that such a small number of people can have such a HUGE effect.

Yet most will simply be sheeple and lemmings, and continue to vote and support the D's & R's rather than seek or start something different.
 
Crovax said:
Even if you get a 3rd party one of them will be short lived as it will revert back into 2 parties even if they aren't D or R.
Click to expand...

I have my doubts on that. All it takes is more of that anti-establishment sentiment, and assuming the 3rd party does not become as oligarchical as 'D and 'R then there is a chance.
 
There is no FASTEST ROUTE. And that is why we do not have any that are viable.

Building a true political party requires lots and lots of hard work at the precinct level and going community by community and state by state. You have to find candidates for all sorts of offices and run them and make sure they have resources to be competitive. After Perot lost in 92 but had some top ticket success getting 19% of the vote, I thought maybe he could do it. But no - that did not happen.

Third parties in the USA are traditionally one of two things: idea parties built around an issue like socialism or libertarianism or they are personality parties built around a big bold character like Teddy Roosevelt or George Wallace. A true viable third party would have elements of both.

And there is nothing like that on the horizon.
 
Dragonfly said:
What's the fastest route "we" can take to having a viable third party?

Will electing Trump do it? Will electing Clinton do it?

Will it take something else? Will it ever happen in your lifetime?

Do the Dems/Reps have such a stranglehold on the system in general that it'll never happen?

If this years election cycle can't spawn something, what will it take?
Click to expand...

Moving to Canada where they already have a 3rd viable party
 
Dragonfly said:
What's the fastest route "we" can take to having a viable third party?

Will electing Trump do it? Will electing Clinton do it?

Will it take something else? Will it ever happen in your lifetime?

Do the Dems/Reps have such a stranglehold on the system in general that it'll never happen?

If this years election cycle can't spawn something, what will it take?
Click to expand...

It will require another "OCCUPY'' type protest and organizers with some bucks and a real good nose to prevent infiltration by the Intelligence Agencies that work with the status quo Political Parties. I really like the Green policies, and have participated in enough Green events to know that the foundation is there for a solid third party, but more money and more charismatic leaders are necessary. The overall disgust generated by the current election cycly may light a fire that grows, but you never know.
 
Dragonfly said:
What's the fastest route "we" can take to having a viable third party?

Will electing Trump do it? Will electing Clinton do it?

Will it take something else? Will it ever happen in your lifetime?

Do the Dems/Reps have such a stranglehold on the system in general that it'll never happen?

If this years election cycle can't spawn something, what will it take?
Click to expand...

It will take lessening the grip the Republocrats have on the system, opening up politics to proper competition, and likely reducing the money involved somehow. The Republocrats hold on the system, how we allow campaign finance, the press coverage of political candidates, etc. all feed into maintaining Republocrat power. It's not going to be easy to go against something like that. Everything has been rigged to protect those in power, not to allow challenges to them.
 
Bassman said:
Nothing. The idea is to reform the existing parties.
Click to expand...

You can't change the status quo by supporting the status quo. The only way to "reform" a party is to threaten its power base.
 
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