A Gallop poll shows that fifty-two percent of Americans want a third party — a continuing majority from earlier polls showing as much as 58% who oppose the monopoly of power by the two leading parties. The question is how we can call ourselves a democracy when the two parties are able, through ballot barriers and other means, to prevent a major third party from emerging in the United States. I previously wrote about these barriers and the need for a third party.
For civil libertarians and others, this coming election is a painful example of the crushing monopoly exercised by the Democrats and Republicans. It is impossible for many civil libertarians to vote for Obama given his horrendous record in blocking the torture investigations, continuing military tribunals, re-asserting the right to assassinate American citizens and other policies. The White House, however, is continuing the same cynical calculus used previously by Democratic candidates that civil libertarians and liberals have no where to go. Currently the leading voice against torture, foreign wars and secret prisons is Ron Paul on the Republican side, not Barack Obama.
This poll is an embarrassment in showing that, despite widespread and long-standing unhappiness with both parties, citizens will again be forced to chose between what they view as the lesser of two evils.
Even in the Democratic primary, voters will have no choice as engineered by the Democratic National Committee under the control of the White House. The result is no choice for many voters. We are living through a political crisis in this country and we need fundamental political reform. We have become a nation of lemmings who continue to follow the formula blue state/red state politics imposed by two controlling party machines. Worse yet, we have become a nation of chumps who insist on dozens of different types of bleach to chose from (despite the fact that bleach is chemically identical) but accept that their government will only practically be chosen from one of two parties.
Jonathan Turley
That should read Fox News! Whoops!
OS and Blouise,
Obama should tell them to pound sand and go cry on Fox Nres about it!
OS,
One does wonder just how they could have been so stupid but then … well … John Boehmer is their leader …
42 Republican Congresscritters are now clutching their pearls and have written a letter to the President begging him to stop those mean old Democrats from criticizing them for their stance on Medicare. They can cheerfully dish it out but cannot take it. There is a word for that, but this is a polite blawg so I will behave.
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2011/05/11/975078/-R-Reps-Beg-Obama-To-Stop-Dem-Attacks-About-Medicare-?via=siderec
Blouise and Swarthmore Mom,
One of the best things to help the Dems was the Teapublican’s decision to ride the Ryan budget. It is a non-starter and it has turned off many voters.
SwM,
That was a given … I was quite pleased when he went public with it. The first of the baby boomers (those born in ’45) hit 65 last year … the rest are in the pipeline … thank god ryan is such a fool … and a republican.
Tony C.,
You’re correct … there are ways to work around it … to “play the system”, if you will …
“Their power is in money and if you don’t need it, they don’t get to dictate terms.” … now that is right on the money! One would have to be prepared for a smear campaign of huge proportions and be ready to mount a counter offensive … but there is no reason it couldn’t work. Quite frankly, it is about the only way left open short of billions of dollars that would be needed to organize for changing the laws so deeply buried within all 50 states.
Perhaps “reformation” is the ticket. It might be a way to get all those independents moving. But man, the leadership would have to be damn savvy so as not to get used, abused, and recused as the christian right was by the republicans.
http://tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com/2011/05/dems-retake-edge-in-generic-ballot-for-first-time-since-2009.php?ref=fpb I think Paul Ryan’ medicare proposal is bringing independents back to the democrats.
Tony C, There are few like that but when it came to voting for the speaker, they voted Pelosi not Boehner.
@Swarthmore: Yes, I know that, I did not mean to imply they all were all of those things. I just find it hilarious that politicians that consistently and repeatedly vote against Democrats on important national issues can still call themselves Democrats.
Good article, Prof. T.
Tony C Not all blue dogs are pro life. Gabbie Giffords isn’t. Sometimes, as in her case, they are the best that we can get out of a conservative district.
@Blouise: I am aware of the calcification. That is why you have to hijack the Democratic party. They cannot do anything about it; just like the Republicans, you can espouse any politics you want and still call yourself a “Democrat.” That’s where the Blue Dog Democrats come from; non-progressive non-liberal pro-life corporate apologists against taxing the wealthy that still call themselves “Democrats.”
The trick is to define a new party with some new ideas, slap a “Democratic” label on it and infest the existing (corrupt) Democratic party. In the end you don’t care what people call you as long as your members stick to the ideals of your platform.
So you call yourself “New Democrats,” or “Fiscal Democrats,” or “Democrats for Common Sense”, or whatever. As long as you fund it yourself the DNC has no real power over you; they cannot prohibit your speech or promises, they cannot vet your ads, they cannot control your votes in office. Their power is in money and if you don’t need it, they don’t get to dictate terms.
small correction … LMV to which I belonged and the study was done 18 years ago in the 90’s … both were typos
@Swarthmore: Russ Feingold was a senator; Scott Walker replaced Jim Doyle, a Democrat that froze property taxes while touting the importance of increasing funding for schools (which he made effectively impossible), and then cut funding for the schools, and that worked shenanigans in his budget that were later declared illegal in a court of law.
And yes, Fiengold’s replacement is in for six years: Did I say suffer through a cycle of Republicans? The senatorial cycle is six years.
SwM,
Kucinich has enough name recognition and national support to make such an unusual move work.
Sorry, typing too fast: “To put Democrats in the streets with supporters all over the country…”
SwM,
Yeah, I know … that was always an option. I would hate to lose him but, if it keeps him in the game, then I support the move. His district here will probably disappear into another where republicans are very strong … something else to thank the teabaggers for …
SwM,
35% of African Americans under the age of 30 consider themselves independents as do 41% of college grads under the age of 30
Absolutely no one who is considered an expert in this field can predict whether that percentage will increase or decrease as they age. It is giving pros within both parties stomachaches.
Blouise, I see where Kucinich might be leaving Ohio.