Third party a joke?

I would not consider myself a republican or a democrat. Some of the views of both the far-right and far-left sicken me. Over 200 years have passed since america was created and we still really only have two parties to choose from. Im not going to vote for Nader I have never really liked a third party candidate yet and have always voted for the Rep. or Dem. that had views most like mine. When I watch the news and I hear them talking about how a vote for Nader is a vote for Bush or that a vote for Nader is taken a vote away from Kerry or whatever it makes me sad. How is a third party ever going to become a real force in politics if this is how a vote for it is going to be considered? I feel the state of third party in america was best summed up in a old simpsons halloween episode were two aliens impersonated Bill Clinton and Bob Dole in a plot to take over the world. The aliens were found out before the election was held. The aliens point out that its a two party system and that they have to vote for one of them. One human states that he thinks he will vote for a third party candidate. The aliens laugh and respond with Go ahead throw your vote away. The end result all hail president Kang. We need to have the third party become a real option in a election as the left and the right grow farther apart from each other this would be a welcome change in my opinion.

The third party is only around to make unhappy people content that THEY HAVE A CHOICE! Pshhh. its all hogwash. thats why imso unhappy with the voting elections. i dont like the dem, dont like the rep, dont like the thrid party, what is left????

good thing im not old enough to vote yet!

I don't think we'll ever see a true Third Party in America. Instead we're just going to continue to get whiplashed by special interest groups who have no campaign platforms and support only one cause.

Originally posted by EnronOutrunHomerun
I don't think we'll ever see a true Third Party in America. Instead we're just going to continue to get whiplashed by special interest groups who have no campaign platforms and support only one cause.

We need a strong 3rd party in the U.S. to shake up the two established, rusty old hypocritical parties big time. Too bad it won't happen anytime soon. (I had hopes for the Reform Party of the 90's, but we saw how that party fell apart...)

The irony is that, in the U.S.'s past, there were strong 3rd parties, and they did shake things up like I'm hoping a new 3rd party will do here in the present someday. The Democratic-Republicans were a 3rd party when Thomas Jefferson was elected; he was the first President elected from that party, and the Whigs and Federalists were in control at the time (the Democratic-Republicans would later become the modern-day Democrats). Also, the Republicans were a 3rd party when Abraham Lincoln was elected; he was the first Republican President ever, and the Whigs and Republican-Democrats were in control at that time.

I think we're way overdue in the U.S. as far as having a 3rd party come in and knock out one of the two older parties permanantly. When was the last time you saw a Whig or Federalist candidate?

Oh - it would be so awesome!
It would actually give me good reason to stay in this country.

But I don't think it will happen, unless a huge spur in the parties occurs and creates factions, like most third parties are formed - which is possible...Honestly, I think the smell of American politics will just keep getting fouler and fouler.

[edit on 7/1/2004 by EnronOutrunHomerun]

Originally posted by EnronOutrunHomerun
...I don't think it will happen, unless a huge spur in the parties occurs and creates factions, like most third parties are formed - which is possible...Honestly, I think the smell of American politics will just keep getting fouler and fouler.

[edit on 7/1/2004 by EnronOutrunHomerun]

I feel your pain there. The way politics in the U.S. is run today reminds me of how the Republic transitioned into the Empire in the Star Wars movies (I know, I'm using fiction to make an analogy in the real world; so what? )

I feel that at this point in a time, there really isn't a third party in contention, because too many people get into the left or right mindset. Even worse is when people choose to vote a certain way because their parents voted that way, without even looking at the issues. Or when a person chooses to vote democrat because they're poor, or when someone chooses to vote republican because their right, or they just don't vote at all. Sometimes it's best to 'throw your vote away' by voting on the candidate you agree with, even if they are a longshot. If more people voted on who they believed in rather than who they believe will win, then there very easily could be more than two parties in contention for the presidency every election year.

I believe that in order for a third party to become a contender, it's probably going to have to start with the younger people who aren't as set in their ways and won't fall immediately to the 'left vs. right' mentality.

HA! That's a great analogy...
Bush has got to be vader...or is it Powell? No relations to James Earl Jones is there??

We need a Luke Skywalker...some friggin Jedi forces - maybe Moore was trying to conjure up a few Jedi mind tricks...

it's probably going to have to start with the younger people who aren't as set in their ways and won't fall immediately to the 'left vs. right' mentality.

That's an interesting idea...hopefully we have enough teachers out there who make their high school seniors go out and vote and vocie their own opinions - I know mine did

Originally posted by EnronOutrunHomerun

it's probably going to have to start with the younger people who aren't as set in their ways and won't fall immediately to the 'left vs. right' mentality.

That's an interesting idea...hopefully we have enough teachers out there who make their high school seniors go out and vote and vocie their own opinions - I know mine did

I'd care to wager that most of them were like my government teacher my senior year in HS. She was too busy teaching us to be democrats than anything else. Ironically, I think about 80 per cent of my class registered republican to spite her.

In a perfect system though, teachers could teach government and the importance of action without adding their opinions on parties into it, and then the people would vote.

Originally posted by kaoszero

I believe that in order for a third party to become a contender, it's probably going to have to start with the younger people who aren't as set in their ways and won't fall immediately to the 'left vs. right' mentality.

I agree kaoszero younger people need to wakeup and realize they can be the most powerful voting demographic out there. They have the numbers on the other age groups but there voting numbers just dont reflect that.

Originally posted by ShadowXIX

Originally posted by kaoszero

I believe that in order for a third party to become a contender, it's probably going to have to start with the younger people who aren't as set in their ways and won't fall immediately to the 'left vs. right' mentality.

I agree kaoszero younger people need to wakeup and realize they can be the most powerful voting demographic out there. They have the numbers on the other age groups but there voting numbers just dont reflect that.

One problem with the young voter demographic is that for the most part *in my area at least* young people tend to not take an active interest in politics and tend to vote like their parents do, if they vote at all.

Im waiting for that one candidate to come from out of nowhere with a grassroots party and just dominate the elections. He'll make both Kerry and Bush look like idiots.

like that will ever happen, lets face it were screwed.

Originally posted by EnronOutrunHomerun
HA! That's a great analogy...

Bush has got to be Darth Vader... We need a Luke Skywalker...some friggin Jedi forces - maybe Moore was trying to conjure up a few Jedi mind tricks...

Nah, I was thinking in general, not just during the administration of the current President. Michael Moore is as partisan as any politican he endorses or insults, so he'd be more like a Neiomodian in my Star Wars analogy!

I'm confident that another 3rd party will rise up sometime in the next several decades and permanantly unseat one of the two current political parties, like it has in history. It's actually long overdue! History shows that it's usually the older of the two parties that dies off, and there are still two major parties left when the dust clears, though the remaining party is severly hurt too. So this means that the Democrats' days are numbered! The Republicans may survive, but they'll be bloodied permanantly (metphorically, of course).

The question is, WHEN is this all going to happen? This current run of the two major parties -- Republican/Democrat -- has lasted longer and become more entrenched than the run of any other two party combination:

Whigs/Federalists lasted about 20 years before the Democratic-Republicans came along and disposed of the Federalists

Democratic-Republicans (who changed their names to just Democrats)/Whigs lasted about 50 years before the Republicans came along and disposed of the Whigs

Republicans/Democrats has lasted about 150 years (!) before the ??? came along and disposed of the ??? (historical guess: Democrats)

Maybe I am too cynical, but from what I see all of the politicians are exactly the same. What do they care about? Themselves, their friends, and their business contacts. There are very few that genuinely care about the people. I doubt a third party will be allowed to exist as an equal. If a third party president did get voted in, then they would have both republican and democrats fighting against them and their administration. Even if the person really cared about the people and tried very hard to get things improved and fought the good fight, they would still have the house and senate to beat everything back and make it probably the most unproductive presidency to date. Sad huh?

Originally posted by JCMinJapan
If a third party president did get voted in, then they would have both republican and democrats fighting against them and their administration...

True, both Thomas Jefferson and Abraham Lincoln had those problems when they were President. The other two parties at the time were not happy with their winning the election. Those were tough times for the then fledgeling Democrats (Jefferson) and Republicans (Lincoln), but after the smoke cleared, sometimes they actually found it easier to work with Congress because both of the majority parties at that time saw them as an outsider. Ironically, in the end, both Jefferson and Lincoln ended up getting a lot of stuff done as President!