Will there be a third political party in the next five years?

Born N Bled Red said:
I still think Independence Party is the best way to go. A great many people already affiliate themselves as independents. It's a natural fit for an American political party and people are already mentally committed to the term (with a different spelling) after leaving their current party. What's more, you already have a base to begin recruiting from as people register as (I) on their registrations. 
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It would be interesting to see something like this take shape.  Not really set a platform but have primaries where candidates actually debate ideas that are important at the time.  No litmus test for abortion, Trump loyalty, etc...

The party may have both former Dems and Reps bringing a wide range of solutions to the table and actually talk about them instead of each other.

I have a hunch that a reasonable candidate that came out of something like that would do really well in general elections.

 
funhusker said:
It would be interesting to see something like this take shape.  Not really set a platform but have primaries where candidates actually debate ideas that are important at the time.  No litmus test for abortion, Trump loyalty, etc...

The party may have both former Dems and Reps bringing a wide range of solutions to the table and actually talk about them instead of each other.

I have a hunch that a reasonable candidate that came out of something like that would do really well in general elections.
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What's more, for decades the extremes of both parties have pulled them farther and farther from Center. Special interests and closed primaries will only continue this gravitation to the extremes. There needs to be a force in the middle pulling them back. A 3rd party formed of people left behind in the center would at minimum accomplish that goal. At maximum, leave the special interests on the fringe where they belong rather than leading the charge. 

 
Born N Bled Red said:
What's more, for decades the extremes of both parties have pulled them farther and farther from Center. Special interests and closed primaries will only continue this gravitation to the extremes. There needs to be a force in the middle pulling them back. A 3rd party formed of people left behind in the center would at minimum accomplish that goal. At maximum, leave the special interests on the fringe where they belong rather than leading the charge. 
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I agree, special interests like big pharma, healthcare insurance companies, military industrial complex, higher education, etc are extreme. We should fix them or get rid of some all together!

 
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Frott Scost said:
I agree, special interests like big pharma, healthcare insurance companies, military industrial complex, higher education, etc are extreme. We should fix them or get rid of some all together!
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Get rid of big pharma?!?!?   Which companies and thus life saving medicines do you want to include and get rid of? Or just all of them to somehow own those big greedy companies.  Good luck with your healthcare.  Can’t wait to see your alternative :snacks:

 
Archy1221 said:
Get rid of big pharma?!?!?   Which companies and thus life saving medicines do you want to include and get rid of? Or just all of them to somehow own those big greedy companies.  Good luck with your healthcare.  Can’t wait to see your alternative :snacks:
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I agree that the pharmaceutical companies are necessary. But they certainly qualify as a special interest that routinely abuses America's political system in order to fleece the American people. It's not the industry that needs to go, its the lobbyists and payoffs and corruption that is rampant in that industry that needs to go.  

 
DevoHusker said:
Unusual, or nah, that only one Senator signed on?
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Considering the amount of cowardice that the current-day GOP is infested with...nah. 

If we could get another Eisenhauer out of this moderate party, I think that's something the whole country could get around. Ya know, the guy that did some of the most influential infrastructure work in our country and warned everyone about lobbyists and the military industrial complex...and also had a 90% income tax on the richest of the rich? 

 
I'm surprised the Libertarian Party hasn't become more of a factor in peeling off conservative voters. With how big personal freedom is in the Republican Party. Maybe the libertarians give too many rights to the gays and non-whites to peel off a big chunk of those voters? Seems like Trump being more authoritarian than anything, it would have been a good time for libertarian leaning R's to jump ship. 

 
DevoHusker said:
Unusual, or nah, that only one Senator signed on?
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Probably not for now as many will likely wait to see if this gets more traction.  Sadly, they worry about pissing off the Trumper faction of the party and the ramifications that could then follow.  They currently disguise it as needed “unity “ within the party.  Just take McCarthy for example.  Pretty pathetic.  
 

I’m convinced the overwhelming majority of all members of Congress care more about getting re-elected than doing what’s right or displaying any principles or values they may have.  

 
Archy1221 said:
Get rid of big pharma?!?!?   Which companies and thus life saving medicines do you want to include and get rid of? Or just all of them to somehow own those big greedy companies.  Good luck with your healthcare.  Can’t wait to see your alternative :snacks:
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I said fix some or get rid of some. Obviously pharma would be fix. But yes, big pharma is a special interest and they lobby on behalf of the pharmaceutical companies to get things passed for their benefit

 
FrantzHardySwag said:
I'm surprised the Libertarian Party hasn't become more of a factor in peeling off conservative voters. With how big personal freedom is in the Republican Party. Maybe the libertarians give too many rights to the gays and non-whites to peel off a big chunk of those voters? Seems like Trump being more authoritarian than anything, it would have been a good time for libertarian leaning R's to jump ship. 
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This is where I voted for Prez.  I agree with most of Jo20 platform.  I think traditional Repub's would.  And I don't think she is crazy.  I get a lot of their info.  They did say that their internal poling said the a higher percentage of people who voted for Jorgenson would have voted for Biden than Trump.  I think they have more conservative Dems than any Repubs.

I am also a big state rights person.  Libertarians lean that way as too.  I was harrassed for throwing away my vote.  I decided it was time to vote my conscience  and give a middle finger to both parties.  I slept great election night knowing I didn't vote for either crazy person.  I beleive that the real loser in the presidential elections tend to be the American people.

 
FrantzHardySwag said:
I'm surprised the Libertarian Party hasn't become more of a factor in peeling off conservative voters. With how big personal freedom is in the Republican Party. Maybe the libertarians give too many rights to the gays and non-whites to peel off a big chunk of those voters? Seems like Trump being more authoritarian than anything, it would have been a good time for libertarian leaning R's to jump ship. 
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So...your implications are spot on. Add to that the years of damage the "Just Say No" campaign did to their minds re: marijuana, and the laughable position of "states rights" being infringed on (yeah, we already dealt with this via ditching the lousy AF Articles of Confederation and as a secondary issue during the Civil War) and no, you're not going to peel off much Republican support. Plus, let's be honest--the candidates that the Libertarian party has put out there have been..."lackluster".  

Now, with this cadre of Republicans peeling off, there are a few candidates that are going to attract Moderate Democratic and Republican support and bolster them. Hell, wouldn't be shocked if you see a handful of Reps and Senators jump in and give them a decent block to get things done with for either side. 

 
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FrantzHardySwag said:
I'm surprised the Libertarian Party hasn't become more of a factor in peeling off conservative voters. With how big personal freedom is in the Republican Party. Maybe the libertarians give too many rights to the gays and non-whites to peel off a big chunk of those voters? Seems like Trump being more authoritarian than anything, it would have been a good time for libertarian leaning R's to jump ship. 
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I tried looking at the Libertarian Party.  Again, it just doesn't align with me.  They are way too much of total deregulation, everything the government does is horrible, seems like every law or attempt to better our society infringes on rights....bla bla bla.....

 
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