As time goes by, more and more I start to think that we’re really gonna need to break into a three-party system.
Not really a bigwig in anything, so I don’t have any brilliant thesis to offer up in support of this…it’s just more of a gut feeling than anything else. The aims of the DLC types and the Progressives are just too divergent to mesh together cohesively.
I’m just curious about your thoughts on this. Do YOU think the different factions of the Democratic party can let go of their hostility and come together to eventually win some elections? What do you think about pushing for a three-party system where all three parties had viable candidates (though the Centrists would undoubtedly be in the majority)? I’m looking to hear the thoughts of people wiser and more experienced than I. 😀
I am neither wiser, nor more experienced, but I am all for a thrid party. The systems, heirarchies, pwoer-structure,e tc. etc. in the democratic party are far too intrenched to change in my lifetime and I do not think that reforming from within is working. jmho.
That being said, there would be a LOT of work to do because even getting on the ballot in most places is a HUGE hurdle.
Said it before: the Democratic party needs a reformation that will accomodate “outside” views in that big tent. In other words, use the national party structure to support the best local and regional candidates – even if their registration is not “Democrat”.
If a candidate rises from the Green or Labor party, and they are in a position to win, support them. After all, there have been many times in the recent past when other parties threw their weight behind Dems. Just return the favor. Keep the will of the people close.
Is part of my sig line, not my screen name!! 😉
I WISH my 3rd eye was blind!
Agree that the Dem. party needs a reformation — my point is that I don’t think it will happen. I could be wrong, but that’s just my opnion…
There have been many times in local elections that I do not vote democrat, but at least here in TX, getting on the ballot for ANY race is difficult.
Also, I’m not sure I understood this:
“In other words, use the national party structure to support the best local and regional candidates “
Could you explain? Thanks!
National party should support your local candidates – even if they’re not “Democrat” – if they can win an election, and “fit” within the dem party principles. (I didn’t even look at your sig line).
How does that work though? I have an indpendent or green or __ and I call up the democrats for support? Wouldn’t this only work if there were no democrats running in that election?
Let’s say Green candidate X is popular in the area, has a solid organization on the ground, runs on a progressive agenda, and polls @ 35%. The Dem candidate is backed by the State Machine, has a minimal presence on the ground, runs on a “republican-lite” platform, and polls @ 20% (probably less). Or, since you’re in Texas, there is no Democratic candidate.
The prudent move is to back the candidate that meets voter approval. Under the play scenario above, you would negotiate a “Democrat-Green” joint campaign. No, it hasn’t been done to my knowledge. But I believe that type of campaign will be necessary going forward. I also believe that a majority of progressive parties would be willing work with Dems to make it happen.
That’s what I meant by making the tent bigger. Make sense?
That would be the prudent move, but I don’t hold my breath for that happening.
What usually seems to happen is that a Republican-Green joint effort is run against the Democrat, Republican-lite though they may be. Sometimes without the Green’s knowledge, of course, but still with the same results.
I wonder what would actually happen if there was Democratic Party support for the popular choice Green. Would be interesting to see.
Given 35% support, all it should take is a phone call or e-mail. Nothing ventured…..
[p.s. Looking forward to the Wonk section coming on line. 🙂 ]
It’s online! All it’s lacking is wonks. Although wait.. we are moving servers and doing odd things with software (or anticipating it doing odd things with us), so say… Friday is good. After that… post away. It’s open 🙂
The voting and representation system we have simply makes it too difficult to have three viable parties simultaneously. The emergence of a new political party is a once-a-century type thing. So a new party is basically only possible if one of the other parties is killed off by its emergence.
The people who wrote the Constitution did so at a time when the majority of human beings living in the USA were not permitted to vote, and they didn’t have the benefit of Kenneth Arrow’s theorem, and they came up with something that is far from optimal at representing working people. Right now the Republican majority in the Senate represents fewer American citizens than the Democratic minority does… and that’s just one of a dozen such problems!
It seems the best choice for progressives is to influence the Democratic Party the way the right wing fundies influence the GOP… which will provide a lifetime of frustration for all you progressives out there (and me too!)
I’ve always like the idea of ballot fusion but it seems the courts will not let it be used:
http://www.newparty.org/
http://www.workingfamiliesparty.org/
See my “what if” above – I coulda saved time by going to your website. Fusion may not be possible, but co-branding may be. The “third way” (I’ve argued for awhile) is for the democratic party to become an umbrella political organization. Use the power of the national for presidential races only. The “render unto Caesar” concept.
and it is zero-sum. One side will win, the other side will lose. This is because you cannot both favor “rights” of corporations over the rights of citizens, and favor the rights of citizens. One or the other is going to go. This is not a game where compromise is possible: There are no mutual benefits, though a delusion of mutual benefits might well screen the reality of the outcome.
I would love to see:
(1)The Dems destroyed and replaced by Greens, or
(2)The Dems become progressive and force the Corporatists out into the open.
I hope Dean is successful.