A decleration of independents in 2010

Independent candidates are poised to run serious campaigns for governor in at least a half-dozen states, a development that threatens Democratic fortunes in some of the bluest and most progressive-minded states in the nation.


In New Jersey, where Democratic Gov. Jon Corzine is seeking a second term in November, polls suggest an independent candidate is carving a sizable portion of voters out of his hide.

Read more: A decleration of independents in 2010

I thought this was an interesting article that perhaps may be showing the rise of the third party and the twilight of our two party system.

People are becoming more educated with the political process and the affect of government on their lives, and nearly everybody is dissatisfied with the two major parties. For the first time in most of our lifetimes, third party candidates actually have real chances to take power from the establishment.

At first, I was a little surprised to see that the majority of the independent candidates are coming from progressive and solidly blue states. But thinking about it a little bit, it does make sense.

According to the article, most of these third party candidates represent center-left voters who are unwilling to vote for a Republican. It makes sense, seeing as how most moderate Republicans have left the party to its ideological, immovable, and fundamentalist base.

It's my opinion that we may be seeing the budding of a new system. The country is definitely (albeit very slowly) drifting left. In the not-so-distant future, I believe we'll have a system dominated by the Democrats and checked by coalitions of smaller parties representing center-left and far-left constituents, with the Democrats placed somewhere inbetween.

Where does that leave the Republican party? The Republicans will still hold the slowly fading rural areas and the deep South, but they'll be confined there as a regional party as they fade into obscurity and leftward thinking slowly dominates the political process.

The facts don't lie - and the facts are that minority groups (which will be the majority sometime mid century) vastly favor Democrats and left-wing groups. "Traditional" American thinking is being uprooted and reshaped for the new generation and a new millenia. Rural districts - Republican strongholds - are all in decline. The Evangelical Republican base refuses to cooperate on issues that alienate the center.

All these ingredients combine to make a perfect storm for the emergence of third parties. Looking on to later than just mid-century, it might actually be the time when the two parties dominance completely ended. Who knows?

Regardless of whether you fall left or right, I hope this article gives us hope and courage, and that every one that reads this thread goes out and votes a third party candidate in 2010.

My husband and I have been having this same discussion.

The 2 Party system is broken. It has gone from a form of representation of the people to a division of the people.

I don't think we should have a party system at all. It serves no useful, positive or productive purpose (that I can see).

Liberterian Party

Free and Independent
Libertarians believe that being free and independent is a great way to live. We want a system which encourages all people to choose what they want from life; that lets them live, love, work, play, and dream their own way.

Consistent
The Libertarian way is a logically consistent approach to politics based on the moral principle of self-ownership. Each individual has the right to control his or her own body, action, speech, and property. Government's only role is to help individuals defend themselves from force and fraud.

Tolerant
The Libertarian Party is for all who don't want to push other people around and don't want to be pushed around themselves. Live and let live is the Libertarian way.

It's time for another party to come to power the two party system is indeed broken.

Originally posted by Julie Washington
My husband and I have been having this same discussion.

The 2 Party system is broken. It has gone from a form of representation of the people to a division of the people.

I don't think we should have a party system at all. It serves no useful, positive or productive purpose (that I can see).

Unfortunately the party system only serves those with the pocket books to really change policy. If the people do benefit, it's only a side effect of a corporate entity that benefits even more from the legislation.

What we have to do as citizens is mobilize third parties to ensure that the corrupt quid pro quo of government and business is thoroughly torn down and replace with a quid pro quo of government and citizen.



Lucentenigma

I like a lot of what the Libertarian party has to offer and I think they can definitely do a lot of damage to the system, but I hope more than just the Libertarian party can gain seats in our government. If just one extra party gets into the system it will only serve to weaken one of the major parties and make the other one more dominant.

To truly break the system up we need at least two more parties with seats in Congress from the left and right.

The two party system is a charade. I'm all for alternative parties from the left and right but nothing is going to change the current system of a Corporatacracy as long as the Lobbiest have the long green to corrupt anyone regardless of how moral they claim to be in the beginning, even if they are from a 3rd or 4th party.

As always, Money talks and BS walks.