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Post by MaybeNever on Jun 18, 2011 22:07:16 GMT -5
Frankly, I think the emergence of a third party that could seriously compete with the Republicans and Dems, maybe a real left-wing party like European Social Democrats (not that such a party would be politically viable), would force desperately-needed reform on US politics.
I suggest a left-wing party here because it's hard to get more right-wing than we are without openly and explicitly endorsing dictatorship of some kind. Hell, lots of current Republicans basically want a theocracy already.
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Post by nickiknack on Jun 18, 2011 23:13:41 GMT -5
Frankly, I think the emergence of a third party that could seriously compete with the Republicans and Dems, maybe a real left-wing party like European Social Democrats (not that such a party would be politically viable), would force desperately-needed reform on US politics. I suggest a left-wing party here because it's hard to get more right-wing than we are without openly and explicitly endorsing dictatorship of some kind. Hell, lots of current Republicans basically want a theocracy already. Problem is we already have a real left wing thrid party, the Greens, and the Democrats just don't give two shits because they can always recuit more coroporate whores to the party, while throwing the real liberals under the bus. Also there's too many "liberals" that worship at the altar of the Democratic Party, that are more than happy to bad mouth those liberals who dare speak any ill of the Democratic Party. I've pointed out the flaws, and it's in one ear, right out the other followed by getting called a republican plant. There's only two things that are going to fix things 1. Get the coroporations out of the political sphere, and 2. get rid of the two party system.
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Post by Vene on Jun 18, 2011 23:22:10 GMT -5
Frankly, I think the emergence of a third party that could seriously compete with the Republicans and Dems, maybe a real left-wing party like European Social Democrats (not that such a party would be politically viable), would force desperately-needed reform on US politics. I suggest a left-wing party here because it's hard to get more right-wing than we are without openly and explicitly endorsing dictatorship of some kind. Hell, lots of current Republicans basically want a theocracy already. Did somebody say theocracy?
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Post by nickiknack on Jun 18, 2011 23:28:31 GMT -5
Should be called the crazy white guy party...
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Post by verasthebrujah on Jun 18, 2011 23:45:31 GMT -5
The problem is that the electoral system in the United States doesn't lend itself to third parties. We use single-member districts and winner-take-all elections, meaning that there is virtually no chance of an upstart party winning office-- they simply can't compete with the super wealthy Democratic and Republican parties.
This structural disadvantage to parties challenging the status quo is made even more severe by the fact that election rules are set by Democrats and Republicans. Minor parties face much stricter requirements for getting on the ballot than major parties. In many states minor parties are required to produce a signature with tens of thousands of signatures to place a candidate on the ballot for state-wide office, whereas a major party candidate may only be required to produce a few hundred signatures.
The thing that I find most interesting about the Republican Primaries is the potential for conflict between the Tea Party radicals and mainstream/moderate Republicans. In 2010 we saw open divisions in the party in several states. What is the is it possible that this would happen in 2012? If a candidate like Romney or Mitch Daniels, who are not popular amongst Tea Party supporters, wins the nomination, might a Palin or a Bachmann challenge them from the right?
The short-term consequences of this would likely benefit Obama, but what would the long-term consequences be? Permanent division of the American right? A single but divided party (much like the Democrats have had since the New Deal)?
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Post by Vypernight on Jun 19, 2011 3:13:10 GMT -5
I'm hoping for Cain. He's the only one who is for Fairtax. Everything else he says, I think is his just trying to say what the Right wants to hear. It's gotta mean something when both MSNBC and Fox seem to hate him. Let's see, he is also pro-life, calls homosexuality a life choice, he wants to weaken the department of education, wants to repeal health care reform, says he wouldn't appoint a Muslim for fear of Sharia Law, wants the moronic gold standard, wants to dismantle welfare, and has called Social Security a scam. Yeah, all the Republicans have to offer is fail. Like I said, he's just telling them what they want to hear. I think he's focussing on one thing; HR 25. The rest is just bells and whistles. However, I don't know if I'd vote for him if he makes it past the primaries; I'm still not sure. I just want to see a campaign between him and Obama.
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Post by SimSim on Jun 19, 2011 5:50:39 GMT -5
I'm hoping for Cain. He's the only one who is for Fairtax. Everything else he says, I think is his just trying to say what the Right wants to hear. Isn't telling your side what they want to hear the whole point of primaries? That, followed by shifting towards the politcal "center" after securing nomination? Yeah, that's exactly how it works.
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Post by m52nickerson on Jun 19, 2011 8:19:37 GMT -5
Both parties are incapable of performing the basic requirements for continued US political effectiveness. The US political system does not work and cannot work until both parties are either reformed or destroyed by new parties. The Republicans cannot write good policy. The Democrats cannot (will not?) pass good policy. Both are broken. The system nor the parties are broken. It is the American voter that is broken.
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vcvicesquad
New Member
The police are here to take your crazy right-wing extremist ass to jail.
Posts: 48
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Post by vcvicesquad on Jun 19, 2011 8:59:27 GMT -5
Get ready for 4 more years of Obama and a whole lot more racist people for the RSTDT section. The Republican canididates are a joke. We need more democrats in the House and Congress so we can get the stuff we need (ie national health care). If any one else remembers the Republicans didn't want to pass it. Mitt Romney put something like the National Health Care that Obama proposed into his state of Mass. And yet Mitt Romney opposed the Health Care bill that would give people health care if they didn't have it.
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Post by Aqualung on Jun 19, 2011 9:19:28 GMT -5
The problem is that the electoral system in the United States doesn't lend itself to third parties. We use single-member districts and winner-take-all elections, meaning that there is virtually no chance of an upstart party winning office-- they simply can't compete with the super wealthy Democratic and Republican parties. This structural disadvantage to parties challenging the status quo is made even more severe by the fact that election rules are set by Democrats and Republicans. Minor parties face much stricter requirements for getting on the ballot than major parties. In many states minor parties are required to produce a signature with tens of thousands of signatures to place a candidate on the ballot for state-wide office, whereas a major party candidate may only be required to produce a few hundred signatures. Which is why the teabaggers are piggybacking on the Republicans. It will be interesting, that's for sure.
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Post by Vene on Jun 19, 2011 9:48:44 GMT -5
Let's see, he is also pro-life, calls homosexuality a life choice, he wants to weaken the department of education, wants to repeal health care reform, says he wouldn't appoint a Muslim for fear of Sharia Law, wants the moronic gold standard, wants to dismantle welfare, and has called Social Security a scam. Yeah, all the Republicans have to offer is fail. Like I said, he's just telling them what they want to hear. I think he's focussing on one thing; HR 25. The rest is just bells and whistles. However, I don't know if I'd vote for him if he makes it past the primaries; I'm still not sure. I just want to see a campaign between him and Obama. I think you are projecting. Not when he takes views more extreme than the Republican party line, for example, he wants abortion outlawed even in cases of incest and rape (link) and this was back in 2004. He also argued against the Clinton health care reform. And this is ignoring that the fair tax is not actually a good idea. It is regressive as it taxes consumption and the income bracket that spends the largest percentage of their money is the poor. You know, the people living from paycheck to paycheck, opposed to the rich who can put money aside.
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Post by devilschaplain2 on Jun 19, 2011 10:04:41 GMT -5
I'm hoping for Cain. He's the only one who is for Fairtax. Everything else he says, I think is his just trying to say what the Right wants to hear. It's gotta mean something when both MSNBC and Fox seem to hate him. Sorry but any members of a hate group I automatically oppose.
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Post by The Lazy One on Jun 19, 2011 10:51:06 GMT -5
I just want a libertarian president, but I know that's not going to happen. I don't even know if I'm going to vote next presidential election because I don't like ANYONE that's running so far. If Gingrich ends up being the Republican candidate I might vote for him, but from what I've seen it's pretty unlikely that he'd win the nomination.
Bleh.
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Leander
New Member
Shadowrunner
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Post by Leander on Jun 19, 2011 11:23:14 GMT -5
As somebody who ist not from America and understands your voting sytem only on a very basic level, I have a question to all of you who are: Is it really possible that somebody as crazy as Bachmann or Rick Perry becomes President of the USA? I heard various people on Pharyngula claiming it might be possible, while others dismissed it outright... If Bachmann(or somebody equally mad) would be elected how much damage could they realisticaly cause?
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vcvicesquad
New Member
The police are here to take your crazy right-wing extremist ass to jail.
Posts: 48
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Post by vcvicesquad on Jun 19, 2011 11:52:11 GMT -5
Well, we had Bush for 8 yrs. . . and almost had McCain/Palin because of the Tea Party douchbags. . .so anything goes.
How much damage could be done? We could be living in a theocracy if anyone of thoes loons gets elected.
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