Arlen Specter's move from the Republican Party is welcome in many quarters. It is welcomed by many in the Republican Party who think he is not "ideologically pure". It is welcome by many in the Democratic Party who think it will help them push their agenda more easily. It is welcome by many who think "moderates" should assert themselves more. It was not welcome by at least one remaining moderate Republican. Sen. Olympia Snowe wrote an eloquent essay for the New York Times: "We Didn't Have to Lose Arlen Specter".
However, his move to the Democratic Party should sadden those who don't want to see a "one-party" state. As long as the Republican Party marginalizes itself with an agenda that appeals to a dwindling portion of the voters and with an attitude that opposes anything the Democratic Party or "liberals" propose, it will have a dwindling number of government positions. It could dwindle to the point where it gets less votes than so-called "third parties", parties which too many voters think are "spoilers". Maybe we should start considering the Republican Party as the spoiler, like Dean Barkley didn't "take" votes from Coleman and Franken, but Coleman took votes from Barkley and Franken.
I would have hoped that Sen. Specter had become an "independent", but this would reduce his chance of reelection. Reelection is also probably why he didn't join one of the existing moderate parties. Too few people are not ready to vote for "third party" candidates.
This is too bad because we are long overdue for a new major party. The Republican Party was started in 1854 by disenchanted Whigs. Now if enough disenchanted moderate Republicans would start or join a "third party" they might pull in some moderate Democrats.
For a list of parties, see Minor Party Links. Interestingly, this list includes both the Democratic and Republican Parties.
Two interesting possibilities are The Reform Party of the United States of America and The Independence Party of America. Be sure to look at the simple platform of The Independence Party of America.
See also my blog entry “The time for a moderate party is now” and my Reader Weekly article “The Moderate Manifesto”.
Showing posts with label third-party candidates. Show all posts
Showing posts with label third-party candidates. Show all posts
Thursday, April 30, 2009
Sunday, October 05, 2008
Are we getting closer to a viable third party?
In the mid nineteenth century, one of the two major parties became more irrelevant to the real problems of the era, namely the question of slavery. They, the Whigs, were tepid on abolition, and were replaced by a new, vigorous party, the Republicans. In the 1856 presidential election, the Republican candidate, John C. Fremont came in second in a three-way race. Former President Millard Fillmore, now in another "third party", the American Party or Know Nothing's, came in a respectable third. Four years later the Republican candidate won and the rest is history.
In the late twentieth century and early twenty-first century, the Republicans became more and more ideological. Rather than work with some general principles to work out compromises to govern, many Republicans became naysayers. See "The Audacity of Nope", Eva Fairbanks, Washington Post, 2008-10-05.
Ms. Fairbanks, a congressional correspondent, describes herself as a "card-carrying moderate 'weenie'" and is not happy about the shift to ideology.
As the Republican Party sidelines more and more moderates in favor of die-hard ideologues, will it become less relevant and only be an irritant to the Democrats. What will happen with the sidelined moderates? Will enough of them get together to form a viable third party?
We have some inkling in Minnesota that this is possible. Dean Barkley, the Independence Party candidate for the Senate, is closing in on 20% according to some polls. I don't know how many former Republicans are migrating to the IP, but if any momentum gathers, a third party could be an active participant in the 2012 elections, and by 2020, the current Republican Party may be a minor party.
In the late twentieth century and early twenty-first century, the Republicans became more and more ideological. Rather than work with some general principles to work out compromises to govern, many Republicans became naysayers. See "The Audacity of Nope", Eva Fairbanks, Washington Post, 2008-10-05.
Ms. Fairbanks, a congressional correspondent, describes herself as a "card-carrying moderate 'weenie'" and is not happy about the shift to ideology.
As the Republican Party sidelines more and more moderates in favor of die-hard ideologues, will it become less relevant and only be an irritant to the Democrats. What will happen with the sidelined moderates? Will enough of them get together to form a viable third party?
We have some inkling in Minnesota that this is possible. Dean Barkley, the Independence Party candidate for the Senate, is closing in on 20% according to some polls. I don't know how many former Republicans are migrating to the IP, but if any momentum gathers, a third party could be an active participant in the 2012 elections, and by 2020, the current Republican Party may be a minor party.
Sunday, September 30, 2007
Will we ever have representative government?
I was updating my The Moderate Manifesto I checked the links. When I looked at Unity08 I read a few of its pages.
In short, Unity08 thinks that the nominating process is not serving the country. As another choice "we will prepare to hold, in June 2008, the first-ever online convention where millions of Americans will nominate a Unity ticket for President and Vice President of the United States. We will work to achieve ballot access for that ticket in all 50 states. We will elect them to the White House in November 2008." - About Unity08
This sounds great, but I don't think those participating will be representative of the electorate.
According to the survey Unity08 took of its membership, it is 90% with some college or more, 50% over 50, 73% male, 53% business or professional class (slide 26), 90% have high-speed internet access (slide 27), and generally half don't watch politic pundits on TV (slide 28).
Well, I guess that's not so bad. Except for the TV viewing, it looks much like the demographics of the current major parties.
The upside is that people will be participating in the selection in a small time frame, and that the selection of candidates will be as large as the participants wish. The winnowing will not be determined by a small number of people in a few parts of the country.
It will be interesting to see how big a role money will play in this campaign. It might be more a matter of time to post sufficient comments. And there may be ways to game the system, like recruit people by whatever means to vote for a given candidate.
Do decide for yourself if this is a reasonable alternative to the system few really like.
In short, Unity08 thinks that the nominating process is not serving the country. As another choice "we will prepare to hold, in June 2008, the first-ever online convention where millions of Americans will nominate a Unity ticket for President and Vice President of the United States. We will work to achieve ballot access for that ticket in all 50 states. We will elect them to the White House in November 2008." - About Unity08
This sounds great, but I don't think those participating will be representative of the electorate.
According to the survey Unity08 took of its membership, it is 90% with some college or more, 50% over 50, 73% male, 53% business or professional class (slide 26), 90% have high-speed internet access (slide 27), and generally half don't watch politic pundits on TV (slide 28).
Well, I guess that's not so bad. Except for the TV viewing, it looks much like the demographics of the current major parties.
The upside is that people will be participating in the selection in a small time frame, and that the selection of candidates will be as large as the participants wish. The winnowing will not be determined by a small number of people in a few parts of the country.
It will be interesting to see how big a role money will play in this campaign. It might be more a matter of time to post sufficient comments. And there may be ways to game the system, like recruit people by whatever means to vote for a given candidate.
Do decide for yourself if this is a reasonable alternative to the system few really like.
Thursday, June 28, 2007
The pH factor
When I heard a couple of guys in the fitness center mention a certain celebrity this morning, my stomach became acidic over such a base discussion. Even people who think she is non-news feel compelled to mention her, for example, Mallard Fillmore or current writer.
There is a certain herd instinct in people, in and out of the media, to make news where there is none or even provide more weight to certain people or ideas and less weight to other people or ideas, regardless of their true importance.
Political campaigns highlight this problem. The media reports on front-runners in polls and voters vote for front-runners. The polls become a self-fulfilling prophecy. I wrote about this in "Reporting News or Making News", Reader Weekly, Nov. 9, 2006.
There is a certain herd instinct in people, in and out of the media, to make news where there is none or even provide more weight to certain people or ideas and less weight to other people or ideas, regardless of their true importance.
Political campaigns highlight this problem. The media reports on front-runners in polls and voters vote for front-runners. The polls become a self-fulfilling prophecy. I wrote about this in "Reporting News or Making News", Reader Weekly, Nov. 9, 2006.
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