Trending away from third parties to no parties?

[AtticaFlinch]

First Lieberman and now Crist.

Could it be that we might be witnessing the end of the big political machines?

Everything else has demassified in this age of the internet, why not our politics? This almost seems like the next rational step to me.

[20thStDad]

First Lieberman and now Crist.

Could it be that we might be witnessing the end of the big political machines?

Everything else has demassified in this age of the internet, why not our politics? This almost seems like the next rational step to me.

I'm for it. The two beasts serve mostly themselves at this point, it's time to put them out to pasture. But is it likely, knowing that most people are pretty much morons and need a big group to lead them to which opinions to have? I think we're a smarter society now than ever before, but still a long ways off from the majority of Americans not being morons.

[crunchtastic]

So what if they call themselves independent? The very notion of political parties is useless and redundant until campaign finance

law is radically changed and lobbies are outlawed. Corporations, not citizens, own American politics.

[TheNiche]

First Lieberman and now Crist.

Could it be that we might be witnessing the end of the big political machines?

Everything else has demassified in this age of the internet, why not our politics? This almost seems like the next rational step to me.

Lieberman was a popular incumbent that was able to draw bi-partisan support; it'll be difficult, but if Crist can pull it off, a mid-term election is definitely the time to do it.

The thing that undermines political demassification is the ability and willingness of voters to vote straight-ticket.

[TheNiche]

So what if they call themselves independent? The very notion of political parties is useless and redundant until campaign finance

law is radically changed and lobbies are outlawed. Corporations, not citizens, own American politics.

It's probably best not to demand campaign finance reform. You know as well as I do that they'd only find ways to make things worse, pass it, declare victory, and then go out and campaign on having passed it with money funneled to them as a consequence of it.

[AtticaFlinch]

The thing that undermines political demassification is the ability and willingness of voters to vote straight-ticket.

Yeah, good point. It seems it could work on the larger seats independent of the rest of the ballot, but once we get to school board seats and positions like that, the whole idea falls apart. That said, a number of people just don't vote either way for those races. It'll be interesting to see the results of Florida's race. Then again, this whole thing could just be a flare-up like when the independent Jesse "The Body" Ventura won in Minnesota. That certainly didn't represent the beginning of any trend.

It's probably best not to demand campaign finance reform. You know as well as I do that they'd only find ways to make things worse, pass it, declare victory, and then go out and campaign on having passed it with money funneled to them as a consequence of it.

If politics demassifies, then corporations won't have the luxury of throwing huge sums of money into politcal parties and will have to choose individuals to stake their claims on. It'll make everything more difficult for them, at the very least.

[august948]

If politics demassifies, then corporations won't have the luxury of throwing huge sums of money into politcal parties and will have to choose individuals to stake their claims on. It'll make everything more difficult for them, at the very least.

I'm not sure it's going to make much a difference. Corporations and wealthy donors already find ways to choose and support individual politicians and use their money to buy ads and influence in support of the particular issues they are concerned about. The problems are how to provide an equal counterbalance to those interests and how to overcome voter apathy. Even if "new" parties emerge, they will still be largely run by insiders from the current parties. Regardless of what we common folk want, those with the power and the money are going to arrange things to their own benefit under whatever party name is convenient.

Basically, I'm predicting more of the same even if we get more "independents" running or even winning elections.

[Hanuman]

We have historically replaced politicians, with politicians. We not only don't vote, but we continue to fall for the magic acts of slick suited blabberers. Well ... used cars still sell, and people still buy them that can't afford them.

[LTAWACS]

We must revolt.

[Fringe]

Until we have tests to determine voter eligibility I'm afraid the majority of the voters are going to vote for the candidate with the most money or appealing name. And lets face it, that will never happen because people will scream it's a racial thing. 

[BryanS]

Beware "independents."

Tea Party people, and others, like to label themselves as that...

But their hit list for action: replace all Democrats.

What? Doesn't sound very "independent" to me.

People who I know... who use the "independent" label...

Are just closet republicans. Too ashamed to admit it, in public.

And there's enough like minded "independents"... that they too can join a party.

Libertarian (if you're fed up with republicans) ... or Green (if you're fed up with Democrats).

[Fringe]

Beware "independents."

Tea Party people, and others, like to label themselves as that...

But their hit list for action: replace all Democrats.

What? Doesn't sound very "independent" to me.

People who I know... who use the "independent" label...

Are just closet republicans. Too ashamed to admit it, in public.

And there's enough like minded "independents"... that they too can join a party.

Libertarian (if you're fed up with republicans) ... or Green (if you're fed up with Democrats).

LOL. That's why I just consider myself a Republican with some liberal views. (I'm pro-choice, believe we need some sort of gun control and health reform and want to completely separate religion from politics).  Libertarians are to wacko and I have to much dignity to call myself a democrat. Maybe I need to look into the Green Party? 

[TheNiche]

Beware "independents."

Tea Party people, and others, like to label themselves as that...

But their hit list for action: replace all Democrats.

What? Doesn't sound very "independent" to me.

People who I know... who use the "independent" label...

Are just closet republicans. Too ashamed to admit it, in public.

And there's enough like minded "independents"... that they too can join a party.

Libertarian (if you're fed up with republicans) ... or Green (if you're fed up with Democrats).

"Independent" is a legitimate stance.

That's how you describe yourself when the Republican Party embraces Sarah Palin as a legitimate figurehead; when Barack Obama issues an executive order authorizing the assassination of politically-inconvenient American citizens; and after you've dated someone that has actually ran as a serious third-party candidate. (My infatuation with Libertarians ended rather abruptly when my date and her Libertarian friends kept prompting me to debate the complete privatization of the U.S. military.)

Another problem with third parties--aside from that they're led by ideological extremists--is that they too frequently split a like-minded vote, resulting in the least-liked candidate winning. Remember 2000.

[brian0123]

I don't see how our system would be any better without political parties. It might sound nice... but you'd have a ton of "independents" that you'd have no idea stand for what. In fact, I think it would be even worse.

"John Smith was for ___ in this race, but was it Bob Smith in this other race,or John Bob in this one?" etc. Just imagine the average voter (even yourselves) confronting a ballot filled with a plethora of names w/out even a hint at what part of the political spectrum they belong to?

Heck, if that was how the system worked... most people would end up voting by name alone, and our country would be run by "Sarah Palin"s instead of "Barack Obama"s.