The Moderate Voice was among several blogs today to feature the May Rasmussen poll showing the decline in party identifiers. Independents Rising--Sort Of by Chris Bowers on MyDD shows the long-term independent voter registration figures from 1961 to 2004 rising from 1.6 to 21.7%. Chris also shows the decline in third party registration. American Taíno (nice blog, by the way) tells us that "Fifty-eight percent (58%) of American adults say it would be good for the United States to have a truly competitive third political party."
A new political reality in America (or is that one of the "original" American realities?) is that most people don't like political parties. I don't think the 58% figure contradicts this. Given the dismal record of our political parties (corruption, coersion, control), it's no wonder we're not so hot on the party structure as a way of representing US. But if there was another party that could take on the Big Guys, we love a good fight. That's what happened in 1860. Tragically, that played out in a costly Civil War in this country. Will it ever happen again? Maybe. I suspect the "lives" lost will be more like the political "jobs" lost, as in a patronage system that is so deep we can't begin to imagine. In the meantime, check out a national network of independent voters who are not counting on a party structure, or the Big Shots, to carry the ball to the finish line.....
2 comments:
But WHY do people want a significant 3rd party? Is it because they did a thorough structural analysis of constitutional democracies and decided that 3 was better than 2? Or do they have needs that aren't being met?
In 1860, there was an issue, you may recall, that the 2 major parties weren't positively addressing. That ISSUE brought the Republican Party onto the national stage.
So what are the issues not being addressed that lead this 58% to desire a 3rd party? The war? Healthcare? If these, for instance, were relevant, then wouldn't the road to a 3rd party include offering solutions to those issues, rather than just an abstract call for independence?
Where does CUIP stand on the issues of importance to independents?
Jeff - thanks again for your comments. Personally I think that the issue that the two parties can't respond to is partisanship and corruption and the exclusion of the majority of the American people from participating in the political process.
"So what are the issues not being addressed that lead this 58% to desire a 3rd party? The war? Healthcare? If these, for instance, were relevant, then wouldn't the road to a 3rd party include offering solutions to those issues, rather than just an abstract call for independence?"
Well yes an no. What exists doesn't lead to something else. A cherry tree doesn't grow apples, unless there's some genomics project going on, which might be now that I think of it....
Yes, yes, the war and healthcare and education and all those issues are not being addressed by the major political parties. Is this the dialogue you wish to start in America? Let's do it! There's plenty of rhetoric. Nothing has happened to address these issues.
I personally hold the partisan good-old-boys club responsible for the mess we are in. What now?
Post a Comment